Where I’m From

I am from a hygienic, OCD home

Where I learned to clean and be organized.

From the burning smell of ammonia

When cleaning the toilet and the floors every night,

And the lack of sleep from the drone of the vacuum cleaner

In the middle of the night.

From the perfectly landscaped yard

To the trampoline out back

Where cornfields surrounded me

And the aura of freshly cut green grass fills the air.

I am from the bustling, industrious city of Columbus

                        Where I fell in love with baseball.

From a chaotic, dirty home

Filled with action and screaming kids.

I am from a big crazy family of six

To an OCD family with no companions but myself.

I am from the enraged “I’m over it”

When things aren’t going my way.

From the bright red knuckles from expressing my rage

To the white knuckles from holding it in.

I am from the many monotonous “Bruh” with my friends

To the silence I shared with myself.

I am from my high maintenance mom

And my structured yet busy dad.

That taught me that there are always consequences

And that life isn’t fair.

I am what my choices have made me.

I am from two polar opposite realities.

From hard nights trying to cope while being tossed to and fro.

I am from the ocean

Where I was throttled back and forth

By ferocious waves

Patiently waiting till the waves die down.