Where I'm From

I’m from a small house in the suburbs just inside the city limits

I’m from knowing, befriending, trusting your neighbors

I’m from shared bedrooms

I’m from cramped Christmases in our living room

I’m from a back alley with raspberry bushes and a comforting lack of fences

I’m from Nerf guns, rugburns, and the old days Sega

I’m from a kiddy pool that happened to blow into our yard, making it a summer to remember

I’m from those seven trees on that little lot

I’m from a small house filled with kids

I’m from burned CDs and mac & cheese

I’m from color coded bathrooms

I’m from a park that wasn’t more than a short bike ride away

I’m from a childhood I don’t want to leave

I’m from harsh truths that I’ve grown too old to be shielded from

I’m from a little girl who dreamed so big for someone so small

I’m from Skate Island, Twisters, and that Pizza Hut on South Locust

I’m from a time were you had to choose which Walmart you went to

I’m from an alternate reality where it’s Release mother duck, not Feliz Navidad

I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to go back to where I’m from

What school would I go to

Where would I work

Would I still have the friendships that are now long forgotten

Who would I be if I never left

~ Yours Truly