Mother Language

I've lived in places I can't remember
the first language I learnt wasn't my mother's

It was a language I adapted to
as I stayed over at my "almost adopted" parents

I've forgotten that language though
well most of it anyways

The many places have given me many languages

When someone asks, I do not know
how to answer to the question
of what tongue is my mother's

How does it matter, my mind rolls its eyes
And the tongue perhaps
The languages in my mind are mixed and queer

My mind
plays its own games
where languages skip and hop
and dance with each other

It laughs when I still sometimes
with so many languages in my head

Forget how to get my thoughts across

(On International Mother Language Day 2020)