blessings

i know what blessings feel like,

do you?

it's telling people i'm in Berlin

smiling at me with their jealous smiles

i'm in Berlin doing research with refugees

looking at me with their lit-up eyes

i know what blessings feel like,

its a phone call,

saying, congratulations!

saying, you are so intelligent, charismatic, qualified

meaning, your life is set

meaning, your future, your destiny, your fate is calling

i know what blessings feel like,

its being surrounded by newfound friends

surrounded by music

these strangers who picked you off the street and actually like you, wow

these people who took one look and thought, she's harmless

she's cool, she's fun

i know what blessings feel like,

its a question, an answer, a smile, a conversation, a text

an hour of laying around waiting for the next set of butterflies

of small talk, of emojis

of ranting to friends

i know what blessings feel like,

its walking the streets of Brussels or Antwerp,

without a look of suspicion,

without a pat-down or interrogation,

it's flying where my heart pleases,

into Berlin,

New York,

Los Angeles,

Auckland,

London,

Paris,

the list goes on

i know what blessings feel like,

its having two passports

two languages

two homes

having family

safety

education

its knowing my rights

i know what blessings feel like,

it's existing

where sunburn is the greatest threat to my skin,

where bombs are fantasies from my television screen,

where starvation is a self-imposed diet,

where life jackets are for swimming with dolphins

and boats are for luxury vacations in exotic locations

i know what blessings feel like,

and i'm thankful,

because i know what my blessings are,

do you?