I am from the hilled up potatoes.

From the wet laundry hung out,

pants by each cuff.

And the muddy trail of tracks in the kitchen --

evidence of our adventures every spring morning.

 

I am from the deceiving yogurt containers,

filled to the brim with sharp, unsweetened applesauce.

The cross country ski wax that somehow sticks to every finger,

of every glove.

The mother and father with cracked,

dry hands,

and warm, wrinkled eyes.

 

The last clue of every treasure hunt awarded me with walnuts instead of gold.

My introduction to both healthy eating and the value of a journey.

 

I am from the harshly quiet snow tunnels,

that slowly caved, thank goodness, when we were not inside.

I am from my classy sing-a-longs with Frank Sinatra.

I am from the nightly reading of The Clever Carpenter.

And from a family of seven,

I assimilated the value of sharing,

and quickly learned the worth of speaking up.

 

I am from the mid-day adventures to the “bear cave”

where we wedged our tiny bodies and vast imaginations deep into the coarse rock.

From the voyages in New Zealand I welcomed the idea of ‘No Thank You’ bites.

From Dad’s navy blue quilt rides across the maple flooring,

as he demonstrated the strength of Muhammad Ali.

I am from the constant stubbing of my left pinkie toe.

 

I am from the unearthed reality of the climate after Tropical Storm Irene:

my neighbors fearlessness following.

I am from my mother,

and her example of giving more than you take within a community.

 

I am from late night spoonfuls of Cherry Garcia.

and my self taught philosophy, ’embrace the divine chaos.’

 

I am the sum of what I came from, and what I hope to be is so much more:

 

a contributor

a farmer

a scientist

an athlete

and a student.