I am from small hot-pink chairs

Mini grape soda bottles and summer days

I am from the fat bumblebee nest on the backyard fence

Getting stung thinking I had made a friend

I am from the old Frame-and-Mat Shop

The big empty parking lot

And my bright red tricycle

I am from Magic Treehouse Books

Exploring Rome and active volcanoes

I am from the quiet shy girls

The “we wish she’d participate more”

“She never shares her thoughts in class”

I am from terrifying storms at night

All alone in a living room

Scared of tree limbs coming through windows

I am from catfish barbeques down south

With grilled corn

And endless bins of iced drink-cans on humid days

From ballerina jewelry boxes

Plastic tweety red birds and big marble balls

From the weekends when dad came back home

and never having both my parents around

like all my friends raved about theirs

I am from all the times in life

all the moves in holland

all the days alone

just with mom