I’m from the pool at Arrowhead High School,

spending three hours per day gliding through the water,

staring at a blue line.

I’m from 5k cross country races,

exhaustion running through me like a cheetah,

adrenaline throwing me across the finish line.

I’m from pain and injuries:

broken leg and thumb, strained achilles, surgery on my knee,

costing me time.

I’m from off-brand guitars,

gleaming like a diamond in sunlight,

creating sounds that wash away my stress.

I’m from pencil strokes drifting across paper,

producing shapes; ears, tails, eyes,

petrified animals, frozen on paper.

I’m from warm summer days,

hiking through the mountains of Colorado,

searching for alluring waterfalls deep in the forest.

I’m from a loving family,

traveling each summer to new places,

generating new memories that last forever.

I’m from the pool at Arrowhead High School,

spending three hours per day gliding through the water,

staring at a blue line.