I am from

I Am From

I Am From Kentucky, from rivers and fishing, from farms and horses

I Am From America, where I can be whoever I want to be, but wont dare to be who I am

I Am From Ireland, ancestors who boldly moved to a new and strange place

I Am From my family, shaping me up, tearing me down, and not always knowing the difference between the two

I Am From friends, who have helped me, hurt me, forgiven me and forgotten me

I Am From the different, the misunderstood, the weird and the new

I Am From broke parents, from late nights with no sleep and their yells echoing in my ears

I Am From the closet, a dark and lonely place, where only self loathing and despair can grow and thrive

I Am From the dark, where my fears and insecurities come to life, where every day is a constant struggle to hang on for what I live for

I Am From death, for I have watched the ones I love die, over and over in my head they play

I Am From cancer, which stole away so many good things

I Am From ashes, I tread on those who fell for me and you to be here today

I Am From the light, helping me find my own silver lining in a sea of dark and stormy clouds

I Am From the rainbow, a taboo to so many means a symbol of courage to me

I Am From the paper, where I escape, hoping to finally see some good in the world

I Am From books, windows to new worlds that always close to fast

I Am From here, on this screen, from this big place we call the world.

I Am From my heart, where this poem came from, and where these feelings are now set free.

R.C.