I Am From Learning From The Past: Shaped Me Who Am I? Poem by Mahfooz Ali

I am from dusty snow globes
And old sneakers that hide
Under the dresser
I am from cat scratches and stubbed toes
Bee stings and skinned knees
I am from childhood dreams
And the promises that keep them at bay
I am from yellow plastic tennis ball and bats
Wrapped with silver duct tape more to hold them together
Than to give them weight
And from the home run tennis balls
Hidden somewhere in the hedge
I am from old books and hand-me-down shirts
'Wait your turn's and 'cut it out's
And balmy nights spent catching Tinkerbelle in a jar.
I am from 'I yell because I care'
And scoldings followed by hugs
I am from the kickball diamond at school
With bases drawn in the dirt
And from my concrete back steps
Where my sister used to paint my fingernails
And tell me about fairytales
I am from learning from the past
I am from looking to the future
And I am from living for today.