“my family’s kitchen” by Joaquin Gomez

there’s nowhere like my family’s kitchen. 

there’s six of us - my mom my dad my brother my dog my cat and me

we all have different lives and different stories are different loves and different hates and wants but the kitchen is where we meet 

we meet at the plant in the corner with a name i don’t know that i see my dad watering

we meet at the spot on the counter where we feed our pets, eagerly sitting at our feet, breakfast and dinner every single day 

we meet at the stove, where my mom and dad and sometimes even my brother and me make dinner and share it with us all

we meet at the kitchen table where we laugh and fight and cry

we meet in conversations in english and in spanish - the way my mom calls me “mijo” is something i’ll never forget 

sometimes our kitchen is a happy place, and sometimes it’s sad.

but one thing’s for sure - 

there’s nowhere like my family’s kitchen.