Homework

you beautiful stack of papers,

waiting patiently 

on the corner of my desk 

while I pretend you do not exist.

You follow me home,

after a long day at school,

Like an unwanted shadow

That refuses to disappear.

Your questions stare at me,

with their tiny black letters,

Asking things

I definitely should know

But somehow never do.

You steal my free time,

My sleep,

And occasionally 

My will to live.

Yet somehow,

You always return,

Fresh and innocent,

As if yesterday

Never happened.

Oh homework,

How lucky I am 

To have you

Without you,

I might actually

Have time to relax.

Where I'm from

 Where I'm from

I am from the clicking of a keyboard.

From Windex to Dawn Soap.

I am from the bright red and brown home.

Catching the attention of nearby drivers.

I am from the hydrangea.

The rose.

With its beauty and thorns.

I’m from the fresh Evergreen tree at Christmastime and bursting with business and chaos.

From Mom and Dad.

And my four siblings.

Shaping who I am today.

I’m from the showing up last minute and always being “on time.”

From “shut up and do it” and “I love you.”

I’m from Catholicism.

With its deep roots and history.

I’m from the Boone County Health Center.

From Germany to Norway. 

I am from my loving family, and they give life meaning and purpose.

They make every sacrifice worth it.

From taking out the trash to doing the dishes.

I come from a hardworking and faithful family.

-Celestine