2025/J.-

I am from diamond mines and dandelions,

From crumbly dirt piles and massive holes.

I am from the cool shade under the towering trees,

It smelled like sweet yellow sap.

I am from yellow-eyed alligators,

The green bumpy skin

Whose sharp teeth I remember,

As if they were my own.

I am from layers of silica and white quartz,

From turquoise and freshwater pearls.

I am from massive lakes

And striped bass,

From pungent catfish and sparkly rainbow trout.

I am from the protective helmet

With a TIG

And ten weldings I can do myself.

I’m from purple crawfish and the pelican stares,

Boats and rivers

From the old house lost to the huge fire

To the pictures used to keep the memories

Under my bed was a wooden box spilling tiny creatures

A weary cave of soft silence

To drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments-

Unsure before I moved.

I am a leaf growing from the family tree.

- Inspired by George Ella Lyon