I am from serious at a young age,

childhood slipping away from a seven year old,

too young to witness so much sadness.

I am from bullies and pain,

being made fun of on the bus,

too stop faking sick and come back to school,

because a broken leg is a joke.

I am from “it’s not you, it’s me”

Friends who no longer wish to know me,

that I’m too nice to know them.

Friendships built on lies too many times.

I am from decent grades and tutoring,

the strive for knowledge,

and to be better than I was before.

I am from pain and regret,

for all the fights that I got into with my baby sister,

over the silliest things.

I am from my mother’s love,

built to be strong through the hardest challenges,

knowing that I can always go home.

I am from zero batting average

to winning the Physical Education Reward,

Giving it my all even if I fail a few times.

I am from poetry being my only outlet,

spinning words into stories when there was nothing left,

being alone for those two months let my internal dialog find release

in the words that I speak.

I am from inspiration striking at exactly the wrong moment,

walking down the sidewalk with ideas fluttering in my head,

with no pen to write them down.

I am from the stars,

stories of heroes in the constellations,

from galaxies far from here.

I am from music,

flowing through my body,

moving me with notes and lyrics,

forcing me to sing and dance like a performer on stage.

I am from myself,

the understanding of what society wants me to be,

and what I think is right,

not letting others decide who I am going to be.