Where I'M From Poem by Maya Hanson

I'm from sweet purple cherries
that exploded in our mouths before dinner.
I'm from round-off back handsprings
and hugs
and chocolate
and headaches that my mother always apologized for
because she thought they were her fault.
I'm from childhood imagination…
wanting to be a butterfly when you grow up
and painting the sky pink with blue clouds,
like cotton candy.
I am from yelling matches
and crying
and slamming the door in faces,
from the grand piano, fingers flying over keys.
I'm from the love, hopes, and dreams for friends and family.
I am from magnets and hearts and cats,
from a talent for drawing birds and writing my long stories after school,
from mirrors and lip gloss and choir lollipops.
I'm from the wind catching my hair on the trampoline in the backyard,
from passing out tropical gum,
from makeup and camping and friends.
I am from Rubik's cubes and card games and Equations,
from flip-flops and choir and purple sparkly nail polish,
from peaches and pizza and mac and cheese,
from minigolf and oceans and family.
I am from the sound of screen doors in the summer that my cats sit in
and from stir-frying onions for dinner at night.
I'm from the postcard-perfect picture of me and my sister standing with our faces turned toward the beautiful blue sea,
from perfect, unhindered happiness of just being here.
I'm from climbing trees to the veryvery top to get a glimpse of the setting sun,
from paper stars taped on the window glass exchanged for paper snowflakes in the winter,
from "Silver Bells" and Girl Scouts,
from music and poetry and notebooks and gymnastics,
from braces and bracelets and books.
I am from a laugh,
a real one.
I am from me and the things I'll remember.

8th grade was the best year EVER! ! !