"Asli Complicated"

Sorry for being so out of touch... especially after saying I would be better about it : S I have been uber busy with WORDS, new extracurriculars at school, traveling, and... WORDS. Reading many of these creative works across 5 Indo islands has gotten me to get my brain in creative mode too a bit. So here's a lil somethin2 I wrote for my kids the day we shared works for the first round of the competition...

"Asli Complicated"


I am American
I am Indonesian
I am hyphenated
Asli complicated

In multiple cultures my pride lies
Not only in Indonesia and the U.S.
In Brazil, Mexico, and China I have ties
Each place contributes to a culture called “Jess”

See there’s no one country that I belong
Frustrating as that may be, I get along
My Bahasa Indonesian may not be lancar
But here I know a comforting smile is never far

Indonesia is where my roots are
So when I salsa or play Capoeira
My moves stem from Indonesia

Indonesia is where there’s family
My daily nasi and houses of memory
Memories from before I was born
My heritage before my identity was torn

There are still blanks in my family tree
I don’t know all of my history
Records unwritten or lost without a key
But I don’t need it to define me

I know my family was here for Merdeka!
Bandung is the hometown of my dua kaka
I was raised with Indonesian rules
and since then I’ve gained new tools

New tools for new perspectives
Everyday with improved lenses
Never forgetting my roots, my base
Because of the past, I have a bright future to face

Terima kasih.

Glossary
asli - genuinely
lancar - fluent
nasi - rice
Merdeka! - Freedom! (Independence Day)
dua kaka - two sisters
Terima kasih - Thank you