A New World

My father

created a life

out of thin air.

He built a foundation

with his strong hands

and his strong mind.

He built a home,

raised a family,

and found success.

Then he uprooted

to a new land,

to plant new trees,

on new landscape,

of a blank canvas,

for his sons and daughter.

He left notoriety,

a good name,

a reputation,

to start over.

Be invisible,

suffer tragedies and challenges

in his new world,

for all of us to find peace

from the impending war.

He sacrificed for the country,

but he did not want to 

sacrifice his sons.

My mother learned

a new language in her

late forties.

Leaving behind tailored dresses

and sparkling jewels.

Abandoned her status

to work as a cook

at a beach front hotel.

Her dainty feet

swelled into boats,

never to recover.

Her mother tongue spoken to us,

while others did not understand

her broken English. 

Hope drifted in and out of 

the windows of our home

and entered through the

door one day.

But it was not long before 

a new hurdle

had to be confronted.

My mother and father

did not dwell in the past.

They lived every day

stung by the reality of 

putting food on the table

and clothes on our backs.

Their love trickled in our sleep,

raised our dreams,

found a path,

to change,

to rise,

to recreate our life.