I’m from warm tea and aimless thoughts,

Belly laughs and absurd conversations.

I’m from broken bones,

Excited dog barks

And ice cream.

 

I’m from movie theaters and popcorn.

From late-night Marvel marathons and mid-day F.R.I.E.N.D.S re-runs.

I’m from Monopoly and Uno with family and friends;

From pillow forts and snowball fights.

I’m from hugs and tears.

 

I’m from a teasingly loving mother,

A joyful father,

And a beautifully souled sister.

 

I’m from daises in the meadow.

From friends knowing looks,

The chalk art on the sidewalk,

The inside jokes gone wild.

I’m from comfy sweaters on a Fall day.

 

I’m from thumb wars and “slap.”

From orange Fanta paired with sour cream and onion chips.

I’m from cotton candy and roller coasters.

I’m from jumping on trampolines (and beds).

 

From singing ABBA at the top of my lungs in the car when I was six,

From getting pulled over ‘cause we were speeding while singing ABBA at the top of our lungs when I was six. 

 

I am from so many things.

So many vibrant memories 

So many terrific people.

And for that, I’m the luckiest person in the world.

 

But I’m also from

 

F

A

L

L

I

N

G

 

I’m from the hate others gave,

From the time that took me to get to love myself again.

I’m from pain,

And the strength it gave me.

 

From learning it’s ok to fail,

From all the missteps,

From all the heartbreak. 

 

I’m from wishing I kept my mouth closed 

And from all the things I wished I said. 

I’m from insecurity and diffidence. 

I’m from the good and the bad 

And everything in between.

And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

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Nefelibata comes from the Portuguese word (Nephele) which translates to cloud and (Batha) which is an area where one can walk. A cloud walker is someone who is in their mind a lot just daydreaming or thinking. The quote I chose, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” (John Milton), continues on with my theme of cloud walking because it can turn a bad situation into good and vice versa with a jump of a thought. In my poem, I wanted to showcase that it’s not just the good times or the bad to from who I am, it’s those two worlds colliding together to see the full picture of me.