Two Names, Two Worlds by Jonathan Rodriguez

Hi I’m  Jon...........No—Jonathan

Wait—Jonathan Rodríguez

Hold  on—Jonathan Rodríguez

My Name, Two names, two worlds

The duality of my identity like two sides of the same coin

With two worlds, there should be plenty of room

But where do I fit?

Where can I sit?

Is this seat taken? Or is that seat taken?

There never is quite enough room is there?

Two names, Two worlds

Where do I come from?

Born in the Washington Heights of New York City

But raised in good ol’ Connecticut

The smell of freshly mowed grass, autumn leaves

Rice and Beans

The sound from Billy Joel’s Piano Keys

And the rhythm from 

I’m from the struggle for broken dreams

Of false promises

Of houses with white picket fences

And 2.5 kids

The mountains and 

And the mango trees

I’m not the typical kid from suburbia

Nor am I a smooth Latin cat

My head’s in the clouds, my nose in a comic book

I get lost in the stories and art

I’m kinda awkward—so talkin’ to the ladies is hard

I listen to Fernando Villalona and Aventura every chance I get,

But don’t make me dance Merengue, Bachata

Or Salsa—I don’t know the steps

I’ve learned throughout these past years

I am a mix of cultures, a mix of races

You can find me in the parts of a song 

You can feel my African Roots 

My Taino screams 

And the melodies of the lyrics are a reminder of my beautiful Spanish heritage

I am African, Taino and Spanish

A Fanboy, an athlete, a nerd, a student, an introvert

I’m proud to say: 

I’m proud to say, I am me

I am beginning to appreciate that I am

I am beginning to see that this world is also a beautiful mix

Of people, ideas and stories.

Is this seat taken?

Or is that seat taken?

Join me and take a seat,

Here we’ll write our own stories