A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Response to "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua

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Languages – are not words.

Languages are gestures, eyes, hugs, high-fives

– without a word,

Languages are chatting, singing, cooking, connecting

– more than words.

Languages do not build barriers, words may;

Languages take down fences, words may not.

Languages evolve within your world,

Words revolve around the world.

The more you go, the more you meet

The more languages you speak,

The more words you find.

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Being bilingual is like tasting a flavorful dish

A little bit of this and a little bit of that:

Something pure,

Something mixed,

Something more,

and something more.

But nothing less, unless bye-lingual.

To quit the race - not wearing identical shoes,

To decay your sweet-tooth - eating salt.

To be submissive to a conventional uniformity,

To be ashamed of your words by using your tongue.

Your languages are your identities, attitudes, and relationships

Your languages are your intellect, inclusion, and globalization,

Your languages are yourself, your family, your friends.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Specialized for each, special for you.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

A little bit to yearn and a little bit to learn

A little bit to retrace and a little bit to embrace

A little bit of you and a little bit of world

- A lot of bits of pride.

- Thi Chu/ Chu Mai Thi