English is the language I know.

A Reflection on Language.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I.

English is the language I know and I’m familiar with

This vernacular is what I’ve grown accustomed to

I don’t have to think twice to remember what a particular word means

Because this is the way we have always communicated

II.

Inside the classroom, the teacher would talk.

The students would listen and then we’d discuss

And my favorite thing about English is the stories I’ve read and the poems that rhymed

We’d read and re-read

We’d analyze the text and this language has fed my soul and comforted my heart.

Literature has been my favorite thing because English is such a joy to read.

III.

And as a teen, I decided to use the words as a way to reflect

In my journal, I would write everything.

Because it was also a way to express and share.

And as the words flowed from my head to the pen and notebook

It’s been such a delight

Because English has given me life.

IV.

Yes, English is sacred to me.

But when I go back home, I see my mother dressed in multi-colored Ankara wear and she smiles at me as I lie down on the bed and I tell her everything

And she looks at me and says O ga adi nma.

And I like the way Ibo sounds from her.

So bold. So Sweet.

So majestic coming from her mouth.

And she gives me a book and we practice how to speak.

I learn how to greet

Utụtụ ọma. Ka ị mere

I learn body parts, numbers, foods and sentences.

I close my notebook and I feel proud

I feel proud when I understand because I am not Oyibo.

And Ibo is culture.

And Ibo is identity and this name that I bear means that I am Ibo.

But days pass and I will soon leave again.

And I will forget what I’ve learned.

And I will go back to the language I’m used to.

V.

I come back to the sound of English.

And I know it does not belong to me.

But this is what I’ve been taught and studied and it’s stuck.

And English is like a beautiful symphony to me because when the words flow, it’s so magical and divine.

English becomes one of the sweetest sounds I’ve heard.

English is one of the best things I’ve read.

In English, I write my story.

In English, I share my thoughts.

In English, I read about perspectives that change my mind.

In English, I find this purpose and joy and it’s not like anything I’ve heard before.

To you, it’s simple and plain but to me, it’s still pretty great.

Because English is the language I know.