She’s silent at the dinner table

That’s decorated with dishes she makes

She listens to the arguments

Gently smiling and the points that are made

She’s the first to get up

She always clears the plates

Would we know what to do without her?

A question I avoid every day

I have written many poems about her

But she’s too humble to believe she’s my muse

Her happiness is contagious

And her laugh will light up a room

Her life is woven of incredible stories

That I must only beg to hear

She doesn’t understand the warrior inside her

But I can see it clear

There’s a lull in the conversation

Someone asks her what she thinks

Instead, she says how much she loves us

And asks, next week, what food she should bring

What a sight to see this strong woman

After all her hardships are through

Yet she is still the softest and funniest lady

That we all will ever know

If she’s crossed oceans and borders

Completed the American Dream

If she’s fought through the world with kindness

Why is she so scared to speak?

If she’s the heart of this family

If she’s the air we all breathe

Then I shall speak up for her

My grandmother’s voice I will be