The sun is rising out over the city’s wet gray presence.
The air molecules are lightening,
becoming thinner,
turning a less opaque shade of gray.
The trees seem to notice, as they wave a little faster,
soaking in a denser sunlight, a brighter shade of blue.
Who am I?
I am the shade of green
that covers the leaves of the lilac
bush
brushes up against the purple flower buds
I am the smell of these flowers
delicate and strong at the same time
the most powerful remembrance agent
you are standing
with your nose up against the branches
breathing in the thick deep scent
now you are a child
sitting on the steps of your front porch
and the sunlight is bright
and you are small in the world
and you are peeling the full green leaves of the lilac in half
down the center of their thick spine
and we are the same thing
Who am I?
I am the feeling of nostalgia
that follows you
as you are walking down
cracked and broken sidewalks
past storefront unknown to your memory
where the only familiar sight
is that of being a single soul in the world
and you are wondering how you would do things differently
if you were still
alone
if you would hurry fast
down the sidewalk
getting on to all the great things you want to do for the world
or if
you would still walk slowly
taking in all the hidden beauty that surrounds you
the cool of dark brick buildings
the smell of food wafting out of their corners
the bright splashes of flowers
the patterns of life
I am these things
I am the waves that brush the surface of the lakes
or the rivers or the smaller streams
and the sparkles on the waves
and the dragonfly that brushes these sparkles
hoping to catch a small bug for a meal
but instead gets only a flash of light
and is gone in an instant
I am the tired soul
burdened by life’s responsibilities
it’s duties and time limits
it’s alarms, and bells, and horns, and gas pumps
who takes a short walk at the end
of a long day
and pauses
by the water’s edge
to notice the dragonfly
that has just leaped into the air
and zipped away
in a flash of turquoise and silver
and light
and smiled
I am the vast expanse of the universe
invisible to the naked eye
the millions of star swirls
constant moving shapes
billions and billions of textured moments
touching each other
I am faster than the speed of light
I am red, and green, and blue, and yellow
I am the thorns on the raspberry bush in the springtime
before the berries have begun to form
I am the smell of all the gardens in the world
after a storm
when the earth is wet with thickness
and new life
I am the uniqueness of that moment
where one person breathes in this scent
as if for the first time
and becomes a million springs
I am the cycle that goes round and round again
I am appreciation
I am alive
and watching
myself
die and be born
all over again
I am the ant.
And you,
you are the anthill.
