When I was young on the island,
My mother was busy.
I lived in a motel
I loved it
I helped my mother.

When I was young on the island,
I would be fascinated
By the Islander Motel business cards
Hand them out to my friends
Take the ‘thank you’ mints
And the mini soaps and shampoos.

One time I even got to keep a Gameboy Color left
To the depths of the lost and found




Later on,
I would sleep in the room with mommy
7B
The one closest to our apartment
When mommy got mad at daddy.

When I was young on the island,
I would make friends
With the guests;
The little girls that were on vacation

But I wasn’t on vacation
I was home.

When I was young on the island,
We would go to church every Sunday.
My mother taught my Sunday school class
Year after year.

After church,
We would go to Bagels & Beyond
And get BLT sandwiches
On bagels.


When I was young on the island,
I would ride my bicycle
The entire length of the island
All 18 miles
On sandy roads.

One time,
I slid on that sandy road
And broke my wrist.

When I was young on the island,
I was always in the ocean
No matter how cold.
I never wanted to go off the island
Never wanted to move
Never wanted to be anywhere else
But home.

And those were the best years of my life
At the Islander Motel.