“Lullaby for My Brother” by Anja Boelter

Ich vermisse die Zeiten

When we spoke in the Supermarkt

Our tongues concealed, giggling

As we gossiped behind our hands

Niemand hat uns verstanden

When I spoke to you in nonsense

The only words you understood

"Hast du den Schlüßel gegessen?"

And I rose my voice, as if we were fighting

Enjoying the stares, sharing with you

What I shared with her, only

Sie spricht schneller, ich versteht wenig

My syntax is zerbrochen, und

So ist yours, but look how they watch

Enthralled by our rhythm, our holy song

Was sie zu uns am Nachts gesang

Unserer Muttersprache, ne Mutterlied

Und nach den Jahren, after nothing in common

I kept her language, and you kept her music

A piece of her in us, zwei Bäume,

Einen Wurzel

Anja was born and raised in Auburn Hills, previously Auburn Heights, previously Pontiac Township. Their father's roots in this city reach back to the late 19th century when their ancestors moved from their German farms in Minnesota to work seasonally in the Detroit factories. Like their Minnesotan ancestors, Anja grew up speaking German, but lost the ability to speak their mother's tongue due to custody complications. They have since earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and German and will be immigrating to Germany later this year to keep reconnecting with their culture.