This is my past.  These are my memories.  They are what made me.  

Beenie Baby safari hunts with grandma and in the morning thick waffles loaded with sugar foam.   Sitting across from Grandpa at the kitchen table,
Staring into his eyes was like gazing at the ocean--when the dark waves meet the white froth and a lighter wash is revealed. 
A spirited blue that I was lucky enough to inherit.

Mom alone running the home for two years.
Dad away at Army.
Military planes held men in uniform.
My family amongst those men.
  7 Black Hawk helicopters below us-stored in the belly of the plane.

Balancing on a four inch piece of wood.
Practicing the same routine hundreds of times.
Perfecting it.
Mounting the beam, my head filled with commotion
Dismounting the beam, I was free from my thoughts

Walking the dirt trails until we get lost.
Just to find dusty beaches on the pond.
Perfect for red checkered blankets.
and cloud watching…
…A dinosaur...a chariot...an orangutan

This is my past.  These are my memories.  That is where I’m from.