I am From

I am from Titanic house that moans and screeches
It lies on the intervale in Mount Washington Valley
With a forest to my left,
And a river whose waters are a snake to my right.

I am from where feral barn cats prance and play
Where a giant boulder towers above the prickly, green pines
The sweet aroma of the Dining Hall drifting into my home
Where scholars of the Academy cross my lawn

I am from the toy cars and stuffed animals of my childhood.
From the musty, warm subterranean rooms of my basement.
Where the snow is so persistent that it could stay all year.
From where mountain meets valley.

I am From broken VCR tapes of my favorite movies,
that collect dust as the years go by.
From my books that speak to me as I drift into a soft slumber.
From turkey eating on the holidays.

I am from my room,
Staring out the window, nature unfolding before my eyes
When my life is over,
I will be from the memories that I made.

-Gunnar Gurnis