I am Canadian,
When I travel the world,
Successful representations of what can be.
An ambassador of acceptance,
The embodiment of the immigrant dream.
I am Sri Lankan,
When I talk about my past,
The pearl upon which
Adam first stepped.
An exotic mix of tradition and modernity.
I am Tamil,
When I blast A.R. Rahman
From my car in Scarborough.
Move to the beat of the Earth,
Telling my stories through Bharatanatyam.
Canadian – Sri Lankan – Tamil
I am Tamil,
The Tiger that hunts on foreign soil
Determined by broad stroke of identity,
Creators of chaos,
Untamed children of a dying people.
I am Sri Lankan,
The other, the unwanted refugee
The people who came on ships,
To take this land,
But at least they brought Tea and curry.
I am Canadian,
A performer to sing and dance,
My culture woven into the Tapestry
Of the multi-cultural story.
A piece of the picture,
But never the whole.
I am…
Tamil – Sri Lankan – Canadian
I am
Without one identity
I am
Both the light and the dark
And
I am
Here.
© Manivillie Kanagasabapathy
My Poetic Heart 