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.