WHERE DO I COME FROM?
I AM OFTEN ASKED:
“ WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?”
A PROFOUND QUESTION,
SOME OF MY ANSWERS ARE:
“ I AM FROM MASSACHUSETTS,” OR
“I AM NOT TELLING!” EVEN BETTER:“I AM AMERICAN”.
LATELY, I HAVE STARTED
TO ADMIT:
” I AM FROM EGYPT”,
THIS FOLLOWS WITH MANY
INTERESTING QUESTIONS:
DID YOU EVER RIDE A CAMEL,
OR DO YOU SPEAK ARABIC,
MOST OF ALL I AM TOLD
THAT I DO NOT LOOK
EGYPTIAN,
‘TRUE, I SAY, MY
FAMILY’S ROOTS ARE IN LEBANON AND SYRIA,
IN FACT THERE IS A
STREET IN DAMASCUS
NAMED AFTER THE ANGELIL FAMILY,
PEOPLE LOVE LABELS, I
WATCH THEM
MULLING IN THEIR HEADS
AS THEY TRY TO PLACE ME
SOMEWHERE
PUT A TAG ON ME TO IDENTIFY ME
FOR THEIR COMFORT,
WHERE DO I REALLY COME
FROM?
WHO AM I?
I AM A COMPOSITE OF
ALL THEIR THOUGHTS AND MORE.
