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The Struggle of a Coconut - By: Yashvi Shah

In a bustling city of foreign sights,

There stands a girl in the fading light.

Her skin, a hue of rich brown grace,

Yet within, she feels out of place.


They call her a coconut, with a laugh,

Not knowing the shadows in her path.

In this land where she's meant to blend,

Her true self, she struggles to defend.


She speaks their language, walks their walk,

But in her heart, there's a constant knock.

In this land of hopes and dreams,

She feels torn at the seams.


How can she be seen beyond the shell,

When the world around her cannot tell?

A dichotomy of cultures, a silent plea,

For understanding, acceptance, to be truly free.


For though she may feel lost, displaced,

Her spirit within cannot be erased.

A symbol of perseverance but so much more,

A testament to resilience, forevermore.


Please give a detailed explanation about the meaning and main idea of this poem.


This poem captures the struggle many first-generation American kids have faced. The main idea of this poem revolves around the internal struggle of an individual who feels caught between two worlds due to their cultural identity. I have always felt either too Western or too Indian to belong and so I chose to express that through this poem. A coconut was the best metaphor for this feeling as it expresses the dichotomy between outer appearance and inner experience. A coconut is brown on the outside but white on the inside highlighting the struggle to fit in as it was never only brown or only white.


Please explain your writing and thought process regarding this poem.


When writing this poem I knew I wanted to capture the feeling of being called names for simply not fitting in. This was a struggle I've faced myself and I tried to remember all the moments throughout my life when I had to "forget" one culture to fit in with the other. The only types of poems I have experience with are rhyming ones so I chose to make the poem rhyming as well.


Why did you choose to write this poem?


I chose to write this poem because my whole life I've struggled to fit in and now I finally learned how to balance both cultures. I've realized that it's okay to feel like I don't belong and that it takes time to find the balance. I know many other kids are feeling torn between two cultures so I wanted to share this poem in hopes of helping others.


Do you have any tips or anything to share with the youth writers who may be reading this?


Just know that it is okay to not belong and you don't have to choose one side only to fit in :)


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