Where I’m From [Spoken Word]

So where are you from?
I’m from here
No I mean where are you “from”?
I’ve lived here my whole life.
No, tell me where you’re really from?
Oh where I’m really from…let me tell youI come from Anandpur Sahib, the city of bliss
If I don’t expound on my history I would be remiss

I come from the land of five rivers, where my masters walked
From a prison of caste slavery that my guru unlocked

I come from the buta of blood-soaked seeds
With soiled tilled by the hands of our shaheeds

I come from where simran and seva intertwine
Serving those in need with my mind on the Divine

I come from where Deg and Tegh connect
Where justice and service is the code we protect

I come from where Miri and Piri mix
Because being political and spiritual is not a problem for Sikhs

I come from where life and death collide
Where we kill the five vices to let the bani reside

I come from a serene and spiritual source
But if you compromise our rights, we’ll come at you full force

I come from where the saint and soldier meet
We are the warrior’s elite
Never fall to defeat
Our jakara so loud, our enemies have to retreat
Fueled only by the shabad, because my Guru’s complete

I come from the people who gave their lives for the qaum
Playing the game of love with their head on their palm

My collective history stretches wide and far
The story of a thousand shaheeds in each lard of my dastaar

Where I come from may be hard to comprehend
But a Sikh is not one who just goes along with the trend

I come from the school that Guru Nanak built
And he taught us to be god-connected-humanity-loving-injustice-fighting-students

So that is where I’m from and I’m a Sikh as you can see
And if you’re ever in need of help…you can always count on me

Photo Credit:  Taren Bilkhu