My Family Poem by Shenise Ashmeade

This is a poem I wrote for an English assignment based on the book/movie The Secret Life of Bees

I have no mother and I have no father.
But I do have a family and I do have love.
May is my sister, June is my sister, August is my sister
And Rosaleen has been like a mother to me.

Funny thing is…
I’m white,
And they’re all Black
And this in 1964, South Carolina,
And that’s the best part.

We laugh
We cook
We talk
We love
We know

Know that love knows no colour,
Knows no race,
Nor culture
Know that love does not discriminate
Does not hate.
Nor hurt

This family
My family
Is so divine
So pure
So perfect
So different
And I would not have it any other way.

In this family
My family,
Love is shown
Hurt is shared
You hurt one
you hurt all
for we are family
a family full of strength
a family full of love
a family no one can touch

This is my family.
I’m white,
They’re Black
This is 1964, South Carolina,
And I don’t care,
Because this is me
This is my family
Because this is love
Because this is us
And love loves us.