From
I am from the tents
the ones we made from
warm blankets and
wooden chairs
I am from the salt
the handfuls I’d eat,
daring myself, blaming
the result (stomach aches)
on my friends (not a good idea)
I am from the vocab books
my sister’s list of 20 words
where I decided
my future profession:
architect
I am from the cold
my chilly nose hiding underneath
the tall plastic Christmas tree
three days
before my anniversary
I am from the music
the loud beats of drums
echoing out of speakers
at the house parties where
I’d simply sit and listen
without rhythm in my movements
only my mind
I am from the strong
the guidance I received
from the powerful women
in my life
that helped to make me a leader
I am from the darkness
the blackness
inside my bedroom
speaking out to friends
from under the covers:
giggling, laughing, crying
the conversations
that we’d never remember
I am from the Hail Mary’s
and the hallowed be His name
and the verses encrypted
into my mind
ever since the day
I was born
I am from the words
the sentences that I would say
that flow from my mouth
like music from song sheets
I am from the laughter
the GameCube and Bratz dolls
the screensaver of Windows 95
that I had spent hours
just sitting there
mesmerized
In the torn pages of my diary
my memories remain
pouring out like a waterfall
I am from that era
the era of the fake tents
and stomachaches
the era of the architects
and the Christmas trees
the era of the rhythm
and the empowerment
the era of the late night talks
and the Bible
the era of the beautiful phrases
and the entrancing maze
And these memories
will forever be a part of me
and will always define me
until the ends of time