Where I'm From

I am from boxes of toys,

From worn out stuffed animals and rocking horses.

I am from the floors beneath my feet.

(Aged; feet padding across the grain)

I am from play dates,

the living room,

whose walls echo a child’s laugh

as if they’re seeped within the paint.

I am from chocolate chip cookies and muddy clothes

from grandma and papa.

I’m from afternoon naps

and tire swings

from sandboxes and tree climbing.

I’m from follow the leader,

hide n’ seek missions,

and make shift waterslides.

I’m from pumpkin patches and apple cider

hot coco and night time walks.

From the Michigan cottage,

clay covered skin,

and bodies buried in the sand.

Photo albums fill the shelves

pictures of me in frilly dresses.

A younger version

one I no longer recognize.

Moments captured with a snap of a button

Some I no longer remember.

Just a leaf in the family tree.