Where I'm From by Yuzhou (Vivienne) Wang

I'm from rattan chairs,
   from Ragnarok and short hairs.
I'm from the egg yolk inside the mooncake.
(Rich, thick, sweet, and smooth.)
I'm from the swings alongside West Lake,
   up in the air and over the water,
   the lotus blossoms bathing in laughter.

I'm from miles and miles of adventure,
   from pyramids and Eiffel Tower,
   onsen and aurora.
I'm from the easy-to-do
   and the hard-to-say,
   from falling seven times
   and rising eight times.
I'm from The Alchemist,
   with Urim and Thummim,
   and the omens that I followed myself.

I'm from Peter Pan and hooprolling,
   clam chowder and donut hunting.
From the scream tunnel
   excited by high fives and kisses,
   the purple tassel attached to my cap.

Inside my closet were boxes of old clothes
   scented with rose,
   missing buttons and broken zippers,
   the memories that drift in breeze.
I'm from thousands of bits and pieces -
   efforts that seemed useless,
   making my life of dreams never ceases.