I am from a family who pulls through the lows and strives through the highs
to a family whose love consumes me like the air in my lungs.
I am from a family of two brothers
to one which Nephrotic Syndrome attacked his kidneys at four
to the other who didn’t know his own worth.
I am from a flaming house in front of my hazel eyes
to living in a hotel and rental homes until the ash was gone.

I am from “Gabby Gabby Gabriella, Cinder Cinder Cinderella”
to “That’s my name don’t wear it out.”
I am from the creases of my mouth stretching on Christmas Eve
to new fuzzy pajamas, soft as silk the next morning.
I am from sweet candy carrots on Thanksgiving
to creamy homemade banana cake on my birthday.

I am from five hour flights to board the best weeks of my life
to sticking my toes in the Caribbean sand.
I am from slipping down Jamaican waterfalls
to rubbing sulfur mud from St. Lucia over my body.
I am from gulping salt water and screaming under an echo at age six
to being afraid to swim with a clown fish.

I am still from a family who pulls through the lows and strives through the highs
to a family whose love consumes me like the air in my lungs.
I am still from a family of two brothers
but now to one who is eight and will be celebrating 200 days in remission with mounds of ice cream as tall as the eiffel tower,
but now to the other who appreciates his own worth of life and his little baby girl.
I am still from a flaming house in front of my little hazel eyes,
but now to sweat dreams in my own bed and in the place where I’m from.