“The Bay is My Origin” by Jennifer Phanissay

Jan 8

I will never forget where I came from.

Born in Oakland,

Raised in Oakland.

Oakland is my origin

and my heart stands with my morals.

Oh, I will never forget Lake Merritt.

The merry joys when I walked around with my family

safe and unbothered.

Diversity continues to rise,

my Laotian skin is comfortable

under my strong spirit.

When I enter Fruitvale in East Oakland,

I feel a breeze of new wind.

This breeze is welcoming, gratifying, exciting

and it carries me on a flying carpet to new cultures,

new food, a new atmosphere.

Home sweet home,

East Oakland.

My head is bombarded with,

“Weren’t you born in West Oakland? Shouldn’t you favor that answer instead?”

“Why not just choose both?”

I came to one final conclusion.

Both East and West Oakland are Oakland still.

If it’s connected to the Bay Area,

then it deserves to serve as home to me.

It deserves to be given credit,

beloved attributes from my history that

darting eyes may not see.

“Across From the Conservatory” & “Linger On” by Amalia Madrid-Lilly