Listen:my father speaks Urdulanguage of dancing peacocksrosewater fountainseven its curses are beautiful.He speaks Hindisuave and melodicearthy Punjabisalty rich as saag paneercoastal Kiswahililaced with Arabic,he speaks Gujaratisolid ancestral pride.Five languagesfive different worldsyet Englishshrinkshimdownbefore white menwho think their flat cold spiky wordsmake the only reality.
-Shailja Patel
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