colorful

She lives in many worlds;

a life where sliced fruits are a love language

and no recipes are written.

another that uses a rainbow as a guiding light;

a place where love can be bold and unapologetic.

A daughter born to imperfect parents.

a girl thrust into society;

too little value compared to men,

too soft to bear the harshness of life,

but how her family was firm in saying she was right where she needed to be.

Colorful child:

a reminder that she could be beautiful in more than one shade,

hold meaning that goes beyond aesthetics,

be a masterpiece amongst the broken pieces of her family.

Colorful child:

my name.

East meets West—

a classic tale.

an uneven scale:

harmony on one end and individuality on the other.

Time passes,

a colorful child is now old enough to begin a new chapter

still too young to leave the comforts of her ancestors’ arms

yet she dreams of her future and beyond.

so she takes a step forward,

anxious but curious.

she is not even aware of the difficulties ahead,

nor the rainbow that will soon shine directly on her.

a rainbow appears—

confusion.

emotions.

awakening.

understanding.

Opposing ends / Barely separated:

-sacrifices and humility

-celebrating one’s identity

-exploration and growth

-fight for recognition

-Pride

Try to thrive in one,

slowly suffocate in another,

navigate the challenges,

chase after a perfect balance,

remembering what belonging means.

a colorful child has a colorful palette:

reds to represent an ancient belief of good luck,

purples, whites, grays, black for love,

soft pastels for how one feels,

and an artist’s vision for how life will be made.

To celebrate

To love

To live.

Author: Ayako Kiyota

Editors: Luna Y., Blenda Y.

Image source: Caryn Sandoval, Unsplash