I’m from blue twine,

from sun-dipped paintings and neuropsychopharmacology.

I am from the blankets dried on the deck-

Warm, soft,

smelling of sun.

I am from windswept hair-

Red cheeks,

Numb mouth.

I am from the old pine tree,

sand dunes of yellow pines fallen.

I’m from the sapling in my yard,

whose branches wave in welcome

to all who pass by,

whose first red leaf

is noticed

by me.

I’m from the bitter cold,

the rush of warmth brought by winter sprints.

I’m from the wonders of biology,

I’m from the mushy damp feel of pulpy leaves,

trodden underfoot,

from hayrides and pumpkins.

I’m from Our Father in Heaven

and people who love me and songs of praise,

From Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.

I’m from giddy joy brought by friends,

rou jia mo and Ruzhan and jiaozi.

From fluttery stomachs and clammy hands-

To be or not to be,

looking through frosted windows on cool fall days.

Reach inside the windows of my soul and you will find an ocean,

surging with waves, the cycle of tides,

fragments of memories lost at sea,

bringing them back and washing away,

to wander at sea,

to dream by the stars,

to feel the steady pulse of the heart,

to live, to dream, to 

remember.