You can go your whole life 

believing you were meant to live in a jungle,

crouching for cover behind steamy fronds

and sleeping under stars the color of coins;

you can keep your dreams a secret,

never allowing your expression to give them away

even when your brother rolls a barrel 

down the hill

and your heart clangs like bells

in a steeple.

But I,

I know I’m meant for more.

I once found a clutch of mushrooms

growing in the hollow of a tree

and imagined the taste,

like running so quickly it feels like flying.

Those turtle shells left behind in the brush

are only detritus until 

they are weapons.

Those stars in the great expanse

are signals

that I am 

invincible.

Amanda Crum can be followed on Twitter @MandyGCrum.