Poem: Who Am I?

Who Am I?

I remember,
Growing up and hearing stories of the great Jewish prophets
Moses, Noah, and Abraham
Their tales of my ancestors and their journeys that paved the way for mine
They sing within me

I remember,
Christmas time as a child,
Decoration everywhere
Trees, lights, and presents
My soul interested, but lost
Until 8 shimmering lights led me to my home
Hanukkah
It sings within me

I remember,
My mother tongue
Foreign to the American world
But loved by my family around me
Embracing our souls and empowering our motherland
Hebrew
It sings within me

I remember,
Crying and crying when I couldn’t fit in
The vast American world
Suffocating me in its cultural confinement
But she called to me
Reminding me of a place where I could always feel at home
Israel
She sings within me

Years and decades pass
The world shifts and grows
But something never changes

The beauty,
Pain,
Love,
Fear,
Strength,
Comfort,
Diversity,
Judaism
It screams and fights within me