Spectator: A Poetry Collection

Origins (2018)

I am from notebooks full of poems
From faded smiles and forgotten memories,
I am from the bright sun shining all year round
I am from the hibiscus flowers near the front gate,
The ageless pomegranate tree in the yard
And the fruitless cherry tree
Fighting for sunlight behind the tall oaks

I am from hard work and struggles
From the soft feathers of an angel
I am from early dinners and nap-time stories
From "Be respectful!" and "Stand up straight!"
I am from the Sunday masses and Friday sabbath
The Conventions in the summer
I am from difficult deliveries but happy upbringings

I'm from noisy streets and cold morning dews
I am from the cities and from the mountains
From summers spent near the ocean
Playing and laughing with my crew

The albums in my closet
Full of pictures and memories
As numerous as the leaves in a forest
Carry my roots, my history

I am from those moments—
Those that are gone and those that have yet to come—
Pages of the book of my life