Golden Roots Poem by Vonnie Postit

hello my name is Bethany, West Virginia, United States.
I come from a tradition of Lewis, of plantations &
"when i was a kid, I'd spend a whole day picking
strawberries for two cents…"
I am the ludicrous, the child born of her father fruit,
the child born of white privilege with dark pigment, you
see only half of my name comes with
generation on generation of Bootstrap Freedoms
and skin like the moon.
hola me llamo Callo, Lima, Peru.
I come from Ramos, Casares, high altitudes,
too much food, merengue, merengue, merengue,
and distant relatives that love deep.
i come from christmas on rock beaches.
my mother reminds me that these rocks are
hot and sharp, i respond in broken Spanish,
and feel my grandmother love me
from her palace on a cloud.
in the wintertime our beach is poor, and dark,
and my grandmother feels safe.
Mama Negra never worried my grandmother
could not find her way home through the darkness.
my mother tells me the day they left
my grandfather bought an American flag.
the flag was small but strong, and heavy,
dripping with tears, pisco sour, and aji,
my grandmother was always so good at hide and seek.
I come from injustice and darkness.
My father always worried I could not find
my way home in the darkness, kept a leash on me
and told me to pronounce words strong,
and smile pretty, smile small.
my name is the oppressor and the oppressed.
i am a peace treaty that never happened, i am war,
i am sorrow, i am wealth, i am taking (taken) advantage,
i am balance(d) ... can you agree?
The day i was born the DC hospital room filled with thousands of
years of being told different colors don't mix well and yet i am here.
I won't tell you secrets of dark and light
for these are not my secrets to tell.
I only ask the next time you look at a rainbow
you notice the colors in between the extremes.
appreciate the depth of roots.
keep company that is light
keep company that is dark
i ask you to find the monotone in shifting
and appreciate its complexity.
find a product of love of light and dark,
deeper than blue oceans,
stronger than red fire,
feel the sun, the breeze and
never forget the significance
pigment that shines like gold.