Where I'm From

I am from homemade blankets,

Sony CD players, and Nickelodeon cartoons

I am from the bright yellow house,

the one my parents swore they’d always fix up

always full of people

I am a sunflower

trying my best to keep standing tall

no matter what the weight of the world hands me

I’m from the typical horror movie marathons, unique family

from Tammy and Jim

I hold the same passions as Athena, art and wisdom

I’m from the silly, sassy, and spontaneous

From “follow your heart”

and “don’t give up on anything you truly want”

I’m from my aunt’s second floor apartment,

futon and a shower that wasn’t also a bathtub

two crazy concepts for poor 8 year old me

I’m from the north,

fried everything

and a lot of corn

From always learning and exploring,

to laughing at the most inappropriate moments

Lives found in plastic boxes

stuffed away in closets,

like we’re trying to hide the past.

I am from keeping everything together,

smiling through the worst times,

thanking those who broke our hearts

because it shaped us into who we are now