I am from a glass-covered home 27 floors above the ground,

and the breeze breathing salt on my face,

and the sky bleeding red all around.

I am from a glittering, snow-white beach,

stretching infinitely before my shadow,

with iced tea, sugar-free, and the sea. 

I am from the rush of loud, crowded rivers with eyes,

and blinding neon blinking through the smog,

where silence and stillness feel completely disguised.

I am from sky so smudged I forgot it was blue,

from buildings, billboards, buses, and blur- 

mindlessly, a city that never once withdrew.

I am from two chairs squeezed beneath a lonely light,

and paper towers looming over us,

and scratching words into the quiet night.

I am from two hands reaching for the same bag of snacks,

and raised eyebrows, and, “wait – how’d you solve that?”

and re-reading the same line again and again

I am from light chords that bruised my fingertips,

F major ringing wrong and raw,

still chasing music flying from his lips.

I am from midnight sessions with my heavy guitar,

strumming songs he’d never hear

and tuning thoughts that reached too far. 

I am from two loving hands wrapped around mine,

safely scolding, sweetly salty,

and my face in her neckline. 

I am from midnight conversations at the dinner table.

philosophy, psychology, and life,

calm, confusing, and utterly uninterpretable. 

I am from slammed doors and words too loud,

and red eyes wet with angry hate,

and pride I wore like a suffocating shroud.

I am from “I’m sorry” stuck behind my teeth,

while crossing my arms and drying my eyes,

with love and shame buried somewhere underneath.

I am from the in-betweens I used to fear,

the blinding beach, the ceaseless city, the quiet classroom cold,

each version of me is held somewhere safe and near.

I am from moments that don’t quite fit,

from mismatched years and shifting skies,

but I carry each one, 

                                       every 

                                                    bit.