Where I'm From

Where Am I From?

A place in

urban Milwaukee where I began to lay eyes on the world,

to a family of neighbors on Elm avenue.

The tree out the front window,

the one that I planted.

 

A place where

the town was cleared of candy on October 31,

an annual tradition.

The hills acting as imaginary battlegrounds,

now in a war with nature.

 

Somewhere around

the paintballs flying past my head,

a few into it.

The scattered pieces of electronics over the floor.

Right beside, me scratching my head.

 

A family that

learned how to make each other happy,

without a great deal to work with.

A group of people that likes to get together on the weekends,

still going strong 17 years later.

 

A place near

the strength that was gained from failure:

school, bad decisions, and learning life heedlessly.

To the Rocky Mountains in Colorado,

hopefully to be seen in the morning with the sunrise.

 

A place that

taught me, fed me, and made me…well, me.

Somewhere that will be a piece of me and structure me,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The first place I ever lay eyes on.

 

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