You Did Not, But Can Poem by Tony Cemaluk

You Did Not Choose Your Parents,
Their Purse, Their Everything.
You Did Not Choose Your Siblings,
Your Childhood Street, Serene Or Staccato.

You Did Not Choose Your Relatives,
Their Cares, Their Cage.
You Did Not Choose Your Father's Asset,
Or What It Was Not Worth.

You Did Not Choose Where You Landed,
North Or South, East Or West.

But You Can.

You Can Choose Not To Continue What You Met.
You Can Choose Not To Repeat Who You Met.
You Can Turn Survival Into Skill,
And Skill Into Shelter.
Cage Into Craft,
Lack Into Learning,
Capital Crunch Into Character.

You Can Build A Name That Houses Many.

Do Not Curse The Root Because It Was Not A Tree.
Water It.
Do Not Curse The Beginning Because It Was Not Smooth.

You Did Not,
But You Can.