September, 2011
I’m from the snowflakes that fall from the sky,
and pile in heaps on the ground,
which gave me company— a friend with a pointed nose and a coal smile.
I’m from the loons’ eerie wails,
which I loved to stay awake in bed and listen to at night.
I’m from the mix of the world’s best pancakes,
and the batter of the world’s best fudge brownies.
I’m from the strawberry wafers sold at the run-down corner store,
where I would always bike to.
I’m from “Because I said so,” “What d’ you say?”
and “There’s a first time for everything”.
I’m from the cheers from the bleachers at my brothers’ baseball games.
I’m from the grains of sand and swing sets at Brittany Park.
I’m from a pair of ice skates, that my brothers and I walked with to the outdoor
ice skating rink every winter night, and skated across the lumpy ice.
I’m from the long, concealing limbs of the weeping willow,
the perfect place to go for privacy and relaxing.
I’m from the big pond behind the neighborhood, next to the willow,
where the ducks swam and ate the bread that I threw to them from the side.
I’m in a different place now than where I’m from. A new place completely.
But really, I’ll never leave the places that I’m from.
by Hailey Acierno