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