I am from
A tattered blanket with blazoned animals
Sailing Noah’s Ark
From blowing soapy bubbles in the bathtub

I am from
Playing hairdresser and chopping off
Barbie’s hair,
Sometimes a fashion designer for
Nine Polly Pockets

I am from
Sing-along books and tapes
From pineapple cakes and rum sauce
On birthdays

I am from
Rolling down grassy hills
From cuddling on the couch
To watch Three’s Company

I am from
Thinking that God must take pictures
During lightning storms
From drinking caramel cappuccinos laced
With brown sugar on Christmas Eve

I am from
Shuffle, ball, change
That month when I wanted to be a dancer
But quit because I learned to play
Beethoven and Mozart

I am from
Twelve-day Monopoly games
And making life on the streets
Through glasses of 25-cent lemonade

I am from
Temples and Taipei 101
From steamed pork buns
And almond jelly with maraschino cherries

I am from
Locked diaries and locked doors
From inky letters sealed
With Hello Kitty stickers

I am from
Blustery, dust-bitten windstorms
Near the Grand Canyon
From prison-island escapades
On Alcatraz’s marbled, rocky cliffs

I am from
The uncertain present
And a hopeful future
Not knowing where I will be
Or the who,
The what,
The when.