Nia Johnson, age 17
This poem was written as part of the Ofrenda Community Project, a collaboration with the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. The inspiration piece was the Tree of Origin, which represents life, growth and wisdom.
Family Trees
Grandma
The tree
Our lemon tree
Its roots buried into this country
When the ships came
Bringing our seed in chains
The gardeners with whips in their hands
But through that seed
A resilient and proud tree has grown
It has resisted:
Time
Whips
Chains
Masters
People
It has stayed strong
He is one of the many lemons
Strong skin
Full of flavor
Life tried to make him bitter
But like the rest of the lemons
He resisted
Grew
Became sweet
Added another branch
A son
In L.A.
He met an orange
And fell in love
She’s an entirely different kind of fruit
I wished he chose a lemon
This orange
Is sweet
Strong
Full of flavor
I wish I was in L.A.
Watching him wear an African wedding vest
Watching them plant a new kind of tree
An orange lemon tree
New and resilient
Gung Gung
The tree
Our orange tree
Is just a sapling in this country
We, the seed, have sailed here
With hopes and dreams
Leaving everything behind
Our sapling is resilient
Like other orange trees
Who have resisted:
Time
Oceans
Poverty
Mines
People
We have stayed and grown strong
She has a strong skin
Full of sweetness, a kind heart
Yet tart, a quick wit tongue
A true “Kwai Nui”*
Adventurous
A tomboy
Flirty
Actress
In L.A.
She met a lemon
And fell in love
He’s a different fruit
I thought, Why?
I thought, he would never fit
I thought, their fruit would be disgusting
Yet he has proven me wrong
He is strong
Sweet
Proud
Here in L.A.
Watching the Lion Dance surround the hall
Watching them plant a new kind of tree
An orange lemon tree
New and resilient
*Kwai Nui: This means “bad girl” or “naughty girl” in Chinese