I Am From 2 Worlds

By Kia Thrower

I am from West Philly

I am from corner stores

I am from “Oooh! I’m telling!”

And “Give me that! It’s not yours!”

I come from fried chicken and rice-a-roni

I come from a place that often gets lonely

I’m from Flavor of Love

And American Idol

I Love New York, and America’s Next Top Model

I am from weaves

Tracks, wigs, and braids

I am from jerry curls and finger waves

I am from Mary Eliza

Of the Cherokee tribe

I am from the cabbage patch and the electric slide

Beyonce inspires me, and Oprah’s so wise

And like Maya Angelou’s poem,

Still I Rise

I am also from the main line

The suburbs, Lower Merion

Where when kids cross City Line

They say the ‘gangsters’ there are scaring them

I am from “Oh my gosh!”

“Are you serious? NO, you’re kidding!”

And when the teacher leaves the class,

The kids still remain sitting

I am from proper English

And manners taught so well

I am from where people can’t imagine

Their brothers in prison cells

I am from the “hold on, wait. Are you mad at me?”

I am from the OC and Grey’s Anatomy

I am from Ardmore

Where Joan, my grandmother, was raised

I am from a place that is often enveloped in praise

I am from flip-flops with sweatpants

And I am from Birkenstocks, too

Some people are from 1 world,

But me, I am from 2