Merely a Lone Drop

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I am from brave young men who

rose their glistening rifles in thick, steaming

jungles, and the sound of heavy tracks,

roaring over the 38th Parallel.

I am from the red blood of men, blood

which drips upon a rock orbiting our star

at sixty seven thousand miles per hour: Earth. Ceaselessly 

weaving a whirling dance in the great expanse

of our solar system, merely

a single brushstroke

upon the vast canvas of the Milky Way.

I am from an ocean, filled by small droplets

of color. A rainbow of blues, reds, yellows,

and shades of the lightest minty green. Even

if I am only a lone drop, my color shines

in a way akin to no other.

I am from family. From waking up to the sweet aroma 

of mom's delicate glazed cherry pastries.

From unwavering loyalty to the people I love.

From teamwork and companionship.

From explosive, frenzied encouragement

at the end stretch of a long race -

where determination and exhaustion embrace

in a final sprint, like the startling crack of a gunshot.

I am from the exuberant grin breaking across my lips

from cramping and desperation, from forgetting

about the heat and nonstop ache consuming my entire being.

As the wind blows past the finish line

and onto my tired, exultant face.

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