I find that much of our current discussion about interracial relations focuses on a conversation about interactions between African-American and Caucasian-Americans. As a person of mixed-race, I have found that many assumptions are made on the basis of color of my skin rather than knowledge of my family of origin. As a physician, I have also made assumptions in my interactions with patients on the basis of their skin color. Many of these assumptions are expressed in language, as in the words and inflections I choose when speaking with others.

This poem is a personal experience of my own assumptions in meeting and greeting a person of a different background from myself during a chance meeting in an elevator in the medical building where I practice. The piece came from my participation in the Taos writing workshop put on by University of New Mexico in 2016.