I Am From.... Poem by Alex Gomez

I am from an uncountable
amount of mirrors scattered
on the walls, from mountains of sugary junk
foods, from fragments of time frozen
on paper and placed in frames.

I am from the endless light fixtures
that illuminated our messy yard,
from the gigantic piles of assorted junk,
from the statue of the Virgin Mary
which stood guard over us.

I am from the sunny, uneventful streets
that were littered with acorns,
from the neighborhood where it seemed
everyone had an adopted child that
wasn’t human to take care of.

I am from the beautiful relationship
between Anna and Noe,
from the childish sibling rivalry with
Chris, from the absolute sense of protection
for my younger brother, Mikey.

I am from the constant utterance of
“Te cais y te matas, ” a warning for my
little brother to cease his dangerous
climbing, from the ritualistic greeting of an
enthusiastic “wazzap? ” with my eldest brother.

I am from the symbolic lasagna
which gravitated our family together,
from the lemon-meringue pie that was
unparalleled in taste, the constant consumption
of our staple, chicken.

I am from the many pictures and
letters that are stashed in
boxes and tucked away in closets
which restore my memories and
keep them alive.