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They tell me...
They tell me my family is too strict like the rigid rocks of mount everest
They tell me my family is strangling my freedom for not letting me date
They tell me my family deprives me of the sensation of ever feeling pretty by not letting me wear makeup, like the strokes of a paint brush on a canvas
They tell me my family is the sole reason to my overweight structure for feeding me like I am a lion
They tell me my family is the moon awning over the sun, like how darkness sheats the light
They tell me my family refuses to adapt to American culture, like a tadpole still holding onto water
They tell me my family is why I have no friends, for they petrify any who enter their home, like a monsoon destroying nearby crops
But the one that sticks to me like glue is when they tell me my family is the reason I am the way I am, ugly like a dull flower unable to bloom
I would almost believe them for those words trickle through my spine
But then I remember…
My family shielding me from the deceitful ways of teenage boys, like a soldiers armor being pierced of an arrow
My family letting me embrace the beauty God has given me, no need to conceal like a cloudless sky radiating it's blue with no trace of white
My family feeding me all three meals and giving me the strength and nutrients I need, defying toxic beauty standards, like a hatchling flying despite it's small wings
My family like the moon who reminds me that the sun will not always be there but that doesn't mean you cannot admire the moon in front of you
My family continuing family traditions and Indian festivals to show me that our culture will always be with us
My family who with welcoming arms invite my classmates, but it is my friends who can't seem to accept our ¨strange¨ home structure and rules
But the one that sticks to me like glue is when they tell me my family is the reason I am the way I am, beautiful like a colorful flower opening its petals for the world to see
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Hi, my name is Amruta I. and I am currently a rising freshman and am 14 years old. My roots and heritage trace back to the small villages in South India, where my parents were born. As a Indian American teenager life has a lot of obstacles to offer to try and get me to give up on my culture, but whenever I feel that way poetry is who I go to. I release all my emotions into a poem and it is my way of coping with stress and all the feelings in me. I love that poetry is so diverse just like the world around us, and it allows us to express ourselves and create an impact. Besides writing poetry I also learn and perform Indian classical dance, also known as Bharatanatyam. I started learning Bharatanatyam at the tender age of 4 and it has grown to become a part of me. I am very passionate towards Indian classical dance as it's further connected me to my heritage.