I’m not really sure how to write a poem about what I love,
What makes me laugh,
What I’m proud of,
Or what I’m awesome at, because that would be an incredibly long poem…

But I do know how to make a wicked list.

I do know how to crack my friends up with dry humor,
I do know how to have one hell of a time at a concert, surrounded by fans who are just as excited to be there as I am.
I do know how content I feel when I lay down with my dogs and I hear them give a little sigh,
I do know that I can’t watch a single episode of The Office without laughing so hard that I almost question my sanity, because no one else in the room seems to understand just how funny Dwight Shrute really is.

I do know that when I wake up in the morning, just after the sun has started to rise, that the sky is my favorite shade of blue,
And I don’t even want to go back to sleep because I might miss out on how beautiful the light makes the walls in my bedroom look.

I do know that my high school remembers me for my accomplishments in DECA.
I know that I can be unbelievably proud of myself for putting on the most successful pageant that PHS has ever seen.

I do know that I’ve never been as happy as the day my mom took me to see Pearl Jam, and surprised me with floor seats.
I know that I’ll always remember the moment that my favorite song started playing.
I was so overcome with emotion that I actually started crying;
And how at home I felt when I looked around and saw that I wasn’t the only one.

I can’t say I know how to write a poem that will let everyone know what it’s like to be me when I take on the role of Captain of my team for Fugitive
Or how the adrenaline courses through me as I give obnoxious and deadly serious hand gestures for my teammates to duck and cover when an enemy team rolls by;
Partly because I don’t want to sound insane or overly competitive…
And partly because Fugitive would take too long to explain.

I do know that it’s pretty easy to tell that world how it feels to study for a math exam for 34 hours in one week and to walk out of the testing room, satisfied with the highest test grade I’ve ever received.
Spoiler alert: it feels damn good.

Looking back, I’m not certain how to narrow this list down to just a few things
That make me laugh,
Smile,
Or wish that moment would never end.

I’m not sure how to turn the story of my first date into poetry.
How to explain the thoughts running through my head when I saw my good friend and secret crush dressed up for the first time, just to impress me,
Or how my smile took up my whole face when he won a giant stuffed pug for me,
Or that I don’t think I could have imagined anything more surprisingly romantic.

However, I do know that I remember that night so fondly that even writing this, I’m getting gawked at by strangers for smiling at nothing.

I do know that of all the things in my life,
The memories I have with the people I cherish are the ones I look back on the most.
These are the things that make me happy,
Make me laugh,
Bring back feelings of pride, accomplishment, contentment.

You know, maybe I do know how to write about all those things.