...sizzling concrete streets and cracked fire hydrants. I’m from metal fire escapes, stone stoops, dancing Cat Tails, heavy grating and big glass metal doors.
I’m also from old tire swings, and padded pine beds, warm buzzing cow flop, wild blueberries, and Lilac breezes. I’m from rustling rivers, icy country lakes, sunk and sticky wormy mud. I’m from Snapple Facts, and bagels, pizza, and bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. I’m Everything by the Bangles, Bon Jovi, Family Ties verses Growing Pains, Empire, Jedi, Deanna and both Crushers. I’m from Zapped, The Lost Boys, Point Break and Reality Bites. I’m Before Sunrise. I’m My Dinner with Andre. I’m Contact.
I am from Astoria, Queens; Auburndale, Bayside, and Franny Lew. I’m from West Bubblefuck in the Catskills. I’m from Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and the Wayne County Fair. I’m from lawn mowers and weed wackers, cut grass and chopped wood. I'm the Fourth of July and Christmas, broken plastic face masks, eggs and shaving cream. Carnivals, St. Patrick, and Steuben Day Parades. I’m the sweet songs of a thousand crickets. Smoky cooking fires, sparkling touchable bright white stars, and a purplish-black cloud called the hub of the galaxy. I’m late night conversations on quiet living grassy hills, and basement hid-a-ways by flickering TV light. I’m mythological. I’m a star in a constellation. I’m the cold crazy of a Polar Bear. I’m the warmth of a glowing full moon.
I’m from the Boomers’ Tony and Laura, Tony and Marianne, and later, just from Tony. I'm from my Dynamic Uncle Dany and my Ever-Lovin' Granny, “The Boss.” I’m Pudding Face from wind pudding and air sauce and the Good Stuff Restaurant, I'm the mother bird who feeds her young. I'm everybody and his brother. I'm from Pinochile, Mille Bourne, Candyland, Clue. I’m Curious George hanging by his tail from a tree and the monocled Monopoly Man. I'm from Pong to Pitfall, BASICA to Windows. I’m from cheap cigars, Half n Half pipe tobacco, Schaefer Beer and Marlboro Lights. I’m charcoal art class, drafting class, and cutting class. I'm from Great Adventure, the Greatest American Hero, and Great Falls, Montana. I’m from the under the boardwalk. I’m from the smell of bacon, spinach with eggs, ham swirls, garlic and onion powder, Polly-O Mozzarella Cheese, grandma’s meat balls and deep, deep, deep dish pizza without onions or mushrooms. Really, I’m from Native American Tarot Cards, skinny dipping, Jesus and the Turtle of Lake Cadjaw. I’m also a 2x6 kiddy pool with 5’ inflatable plastic dolphin dreaming of flight school and listening to the Top Gun Soundtrack. I'm Amy's Ali. I'm Mom. I’m from the tracks. I’m from trees, rocks and rooftops. I’m from all the inner and outer crevices of all the forgotten bits and pieces of all of it.