My mother’s voice, a hymn of Haiti,
Resonates in the rhythm of discipline,
Each note a commandment,
Each beat a boundary.
I dance between two worlds,
A girl with skin kissed by the Caribbean sun,
But measured by America’s gaze.
They tell me my hair should fall straight, like promises,
But it coils and curves, defiant and proud,
A crown that refuses to be tamed.
The streets of Port-au-Prince whisper in Creole,
While the avenues of America sing in English,
And I am the bridge,
Suspended between the drums of both lands.
Fatherless, I’ve learned to stand tall on my own,
My reflection a patchwork of cultures,
Neither fully here nor there,
But whole in my own mosaic.
Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder,
But I’ve found it in the resilience of my roots,
In the cadence of my mother’s strictness,
In the embrace of two homes,
And the melody of my skin,
Singing its own song.
Cherry Harvard has been passionate about writing since childhood, using it as a way to navigate life’s challenges. Now pursuing a minor in Creative Writing at Palm Beach Atlantic University, she is a young widow and single mother to a three-year-old. A professional writer, she will debut her work in the 6th issue of As Surely As the Sun, a literary magazine, in December 2024. Cherry finds comfort in knowing that her words leave a lasting impact, resonating with readers around the world.
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