This poem is from one of River of Words’ most-winning (in both senses of the phrase!) participants—Jane Jiang, who has just published her own book of poetry, This Odyssey: Poetic Quests of a Teenage Girl.

I, Too, Sing America
Inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem of the same title.
Originally part of a poetry sequence about the first-generation American experience.

And I am not only the darker brother
But am sister also, and cousin and friend and lover
of liberty and the opportunity
that this rich land affords;

And I am not only black or white—
Am many-colored also,
yellow and dun and red and brown,
I would be green too if I could find a way;

I, too, am America.
My song is the lifeblood of this country;
My sweat still waters the bounty of its fields;
My mind is a gift to the testament of opportunity;
I foresee setback but I am optimistic:
I will find a way.

spaceMy heritage carries with me.
I am ever the child of immigrants.
I struggle to merge with those around me.
I am ever the one with two selves, two halves, two souls.
I am struggling to retain my past.
spaceMy culture beats warring drums inside me.
spaceMine is not a simple answer.

My song of America is no simple folk tune:
There is harmony and melody, chords and ornaments,
classical and pop and jazz and rap and country and rock;
I sing in my song a whole symphony
Of America, a grand melting amalgam of the silver-skinned and the gold-skinned
And the copper and the bronze and the brown-black metals
That I do not yet know how to name.
I do not know how to name myself, either.
It is difficult to sing a symphony.

But this I do know how to name, sing, this I understand:
That between these layers,
different words and foods and holidays,
Between and beyond them I still sing, although I must sing a symphony:
I too am America.

Jane Jiang, age 17
Bellvue, Washington USA

2002 River of Words Grand Prize winner for her poem “Dear Stars”
2005 River of Words Finalist for her poem “wading stream”
2000 River of Words Finalist for her poem “The Late Rose”