I am a
black woman
my parents migrated from Paris
i speak three languages
i struggle everyday to raise my children
braid hair, day in and out
They call me Mama
I am a
turkish woman
in Germany, i want to pass on my customs
there are others like me
pushed into neighborhoods while our foods feed their stomachs
sometimes
They call me Outcast
I am
pakistani
i came to america a woman
praying on my knees to keep my sons free
my youngest shouts of foot baller dreams
i’ll go home one day and he’ll be there
They call me Hopeful
I am a
woman
i spend nights on the underside of the italian rivera
my smile is ethereal
no matter where i rome
They call me Real Sweet