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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

DAY 13 - NAPOWRIMO 2011

Posted to Writers Island


SIX AND TWO THREES

Father; Slav
Mother; Anglo-Saxon
Making me
Mixed race
Technically
An Ethnic Minority
But only by default
So some might say
In my case
You could say
It’s a stand-alone status
Without official
Recognition
No visible
Distinguishing features
No support group
No discussion forum
I look and sound the same
As all the rest of us
Caucasians

Because my history
And recent history
Occurred the way they did
I have no history
Only fading memories
Of faded traditions
And soon to be forgotten
Customs and culture

If, like me, you’ve spent
A life away from home
In a land that’s not your own
While your father’s homeland
Remains a foreign place
To him as well as you
Then so the search begins
For a place to call home

And all the while
You do your best
To fit in
Between the sniggers
And nervous smiles
The distrust
Uncertainty
Suspicions
Snide comments

“He’s not one of us…
At least not one of them…”

“What’s your name… er… mate?”

“Ski-bin-ski…Spelt as said”

“That’s a mouthful innit?”

“I suppose… I never thought…
What do you call yourself?”

“E-ther-ing-ton… with a ‘th’…”

“Oh yeah… that’s…
So much easier…
To say… and to spell…”

And so it goes on
You get used to it
…I suppose

Posted by at

24 comments:

  1. brenda wApril 13, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    People are ridiculous, and we shouldn't have to get used to it. Dang. This is an honest well written piece. Thanks. It is nice to know your full surname, Stan. One of the joys of teaching is all of the names that run through my classroom. I get some interesting Native American names, but have never had a Skibinski. (It's almost a palindrome!)

    ~Brenda

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  2. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    Thanks Brenda;It was triggered by one of those inappropriate remarks you don't hear too often anymore - reminded me of childhood taunts and back of the hand comments from other kids' parents that questioned my identity...

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  3. AnonymousApril 13, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    People are crass. What matters is who you are, not where you come from.

    This is a great poem.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Thanks I'mnotaverse; People tend to think before they speak these days, but it hasn't always been the case.

    ReplyDelete
  5. vivinfranceApril 13, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    Fab poem, Stan - I bet it's more than 40 lines! I get steamed up about nationality, ethnicity and all those other icities designed to separate people. We are people full stop.
    Difference is to be celebrated, not traduced.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Thanks Viv; La difference...Viv(e)...

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  7. Ron.April 13, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    Yeah, I try not to get around.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    Thanks Ron; Most of the time things are cool...

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  9. AnonymousApril 13, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Thanks Whenwordsescape; We're all in the same boat.

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  11. GloriaApril 13, 2011 at 8:04 PM

    My maiden name was Muhly....you can imagine. ;) Well written piece...reeeally good!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    Thanks Gloria; What's in a name...?

    ReplyDelete
  13. flaubertApril 13, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    Stan, I can relate to this piece, my maiden name is Kaler, which comes from Alsace-Lorraine, meaning black forest and my understanding is more French than German. People do assume things by our surnames. It is the way of the world, to pin titles on others. Nicely said.

    Pamela

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  14. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    Thanks Pamela; Something thoughtless someone said to me recently confirms that.

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  15. barbaraApril 13, 2011 at 11:44 PM

    My part of the world used to only have two races, and most of them had scotts or german names. I remember, actually remember, the day I saw someone who wasn't "from here". I'm sure I did stare, but it was wondrous amazing.

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  16. Stan SkiApril 13, 2011 at 11:50 PM

    Thanks Barbara; I can relate to that too, to an extent, having lived amongst people whose contact with foreigners is very limited.

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  17. Andy SewinaApril 14, 2011 at 5:12 AM

    Hi Stan, you have in-depth knowledge of these things...
    A well written and thought provoking piece.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Judy RoneyApril 14, 2011 at 6:38 AM

    This cracks me up. I never thought of this kind of mixed race, or that one would feel like a man without a home because of it. What is said to you is just crazy, though. My son in law is Filipkowski. I'm going to ask about his mixed race. :)

    http://judyidliketosay.blogspot.com/2011/04/everyone-deserves-friend-who-makes-them.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. ZouxzouxApril 14, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    One of the things I love about living in New Orleans is the huge melting pot of nationalities. There are so many surnames that most people find unpronounceable that are just accepted here and not even thought twice about.
    This is a great piece - one that will make others think.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Stan SkiApril 14, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Thanks to:
    Andy; Years of experience, fending off the taunts...
    Judy; Bit of a technical point - he may or may not agree.
    Zouxzoux; Most places are like that these days, but when I was a kid I was regarded by some as a novelty.

    ReplyDelete
  21. MaryApril 14, 2011 at 6:54 PM

    Well written piece, Stan. Thinking of my daughter and son in law who live on an army base and their children grow up with many ethnicities, many mixes, and don't notice. This is the way of the future, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Stan SkiApril 14, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    Thanks Mary; That's how it should be.

    ReplyDelete
  23. lucychiliApril 15, 2011 at 8:28 AM

    youre in a good crown online =)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Stan SkiApril 15, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    Thanks Lucychili; Good to know that.

    ReplyDelete

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