By Nicole Ryan M.

Nicole Ryan M. wrote this poem in honor of her Grandmother, a woman who migrated from Jalisco, Mexico to Watsonville, California and worked hard to keep her family’s future limitless.

A strawberry,
Heart-shaped, ruby red, topped with a green cap;
Small crisp sound when bitten,
moist, juicy, and rough against the tongue.

Grown from a
small spherical seed
fruit breaks, branches, and burrows
to evolve out into a new world,

Raised in comfort,
warmth, and structure
deep in the dirt.

caressed by the comfort and care of hands.

Freckled,
weathered and wrinkled, hands.

coated from the fruit’s soil.

Fruit’s soil travels home with the hand,

Foundation, Dedication, Respect.

Respect the Earth.  Respect the Root.  Respect the Fruit.

Be proud.
The seed you grew from
             Broke Boundries

The Hands that cared for you
              Worked Hard

Their proof
           Is You
Persevere
             Grow
                           Grow Strong.

Welcome Fear to give your Courage.
Above all,
                Love.

A strawberry,
Heart-shaped, ruby red, topped with a green cap;
Small crisp sound when bitten,
moist, juicy, and rough against the tongue.

The generation that grew me.

___________________________________________________________________

Nicole Ryan M. is a storyteller, producer, and loves to laugh. She’s a recent graduate of the Media Studies MA program at The New School in New York City. She also has a BA from California State University Monterey Bay where she studied Humanities and Communication with a concentration in Creative Writing and Social Action. 

Nicole currently works in Denver, Colorado at the Open Media Foundation.