My Roots

Do you see these roots inside me?

Like the branches of ancestral wisdom,

planted by knowledge passed down generations—

aren’t there things you weren’t taught, but know are true in the core of your intuition?

I have centuries of lifetimes rooted in me like lessons.

ancestors self-risen from the depths of oppression

women who freed themselves with a fiery resilience

the courage of a brother who fought for independence

the creativity of sons who turned poverty into privilege

I have centuries of pain woven into my genetics.

like abuse at the hands of an in-law or husband

robbed after the two jobs you just finished

starving because you chose education, immigration

all the minds that twisted fear into obsession

I’m still digging to find what I can’t see. I’m desperate to

uncover the parts stolen from me; roots severed, poisoned,

erased like history—

I’m just looking to reclaim the uprooted parts of me.

about the poet

Bianca Modi (she/her) is a first generation south-asian canadian poet and author. She discovered writing at six years old, when she learned that words could be used to transform oneself, understand oneself, and better accept oneself. She published her first poetry book in 2022, titled 'The Art of Creation,' and co-founded the non profit Stay Woke organization, intending to bring community and voice to youth artists. She continues to use words as a tool of political resistance and identity formation.