A colleague has a quote on her door about accents being a sign of bravery. This idea struck me as a good one and I have interjected it into lectures and conversations. Rudy Francisco captured it poetically in this piece from his collection Helium. Anyone who has a relationship with immigration can relate to these words:
Accent
My mother’s accent is
the most popular brand
of salt in her country.
She gently sprinkles a little on
every word before she allows
them to pass her lips.
This is a ceremony that happens
every time she has something to say.
When foreign soil and home
are synonymous, your mouth
becomes a kitchen, each sentence
an entrée. Every time you speak,
you are preparing a meal, the conversation
is a dinner party and you are the chef,
just hoping
that you used
all the correct ingredients.
Accent
My mother’s accent is
the most popular brand
of salt in her country.
She gently sprinkles a little on
every word before she allows
them to pass her lips.
This is a ceremony that happens
every time she has something to say.
When foreign soil and home
are synonymous, your mouth
becomes a kitchen, each sentence
an entrée. Every time you speak,
you are preparing a meal, the conversation
is a dinner party and you are the chef,
just hoping
that you used
all the correct ingredients.
