I Am From

By Alvaro Esparza

I am from TV shows

from meat and candy

I am from the small home where I live.

A home that feels freely of itself.

I am from the flowers in front of my house,

the trees in my house,

whose long gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I’m from Christmas and tamales

from my brothers and my parents

and “Happy Birthday.”

I’m from menudo.

I’m from Montlerca and Mexico,

From posole and tamales.

From our hero

which saved us

from under my bed.