Dedicated to my mother who had so many child hood struggles
But has finally achieved what she wanted most of all.



Flipping through photos of who she once was,
A familiar face in a different setting, a different world,
Counterfeit smiles hiding a genuine being,
A life I could never imagine calling my own,
So many heartaches, too many battles not won,
A struggle with identity.

An immigrant, flown in from a far,
Wrestling new wonders,
Burying the torn memories,
Life, wreckage, inspiration, curiosity,
Swimming out from the deep waters and into her own river,
Reaching for her finally found dreams,


Destination reached.