I am all of the poetry I've ever read
and every song I've listened to
even the ones by 1D or t-swizzle
I am every book I've ever read
and the taste of cantaloupe
after you know you've eaten too much
I am the thrum of cicadas
and the drone of box fans in the summertime
I am the creak of wooden floorboards
underneath my feet and
the tanginess of water straight from the hose
I am tarps equalling slip n slides
and skinned knees from sliding on them too long
I am bare feet on gravel
and the crack of a winning carpetball match
I am banana boxes packed with crisis care kits
and the way your stomach falls
when you drop from the top of the swing
I am little hand-held American flags
and glowsticks and fist-fulls of candy
I am nerf gun bullets and library books
I am bonfire smoke and funnel cakes
and one dollar flip flops from Walmart
I am razor-sharp candy canes and
Halloween hot chocolate with candy corn
I am MEL and High Say Scummuffa and
circus peanuts from the gas station
I am heyyyyyy dudeeeeee at the fire hydrants
and the nasty-tasting snacks Bonnie gave us
I am VBS crafts and Benjamin playing Phantom of the Opera
at 1 am on the electric piano at church
I am my father's daughter and my mother's son
I am a pastor's kid and I REFUSE

to sit on the altar or keep my hat on in church

I am Ghost Gas Station and Ghost Ice Cream Place

and especially Ghost Train Tracks

I am the stars on the car ride home

and corn on the cob and friend bread and dinner rolls

I am kazoos and swing sets and

the way my grandpa's eyes crinkle

I am not what you wanted, I know

But I am what I needed

regardless of what you expected