I remember: Chapter 1

I remember a snowy cold Connecticut morning,

I remember smashing a Giant Gingerbread church,

I remember walking in a wood, pretending to be King,

I remember watching on as my Dad played his Computer Games.

I remember reading books when I was bored,

I remember trying to step into my sisters’ room,

And I remember and her slamming the door on my foot, breaking off the nails,

I remember learning how to clean no matter what important things I was doing,

I remember breaking something nice, lying,

And I remember getting in trouble just because my sister looked more innocent,

I remember laughing while my sister cried because she sat on an ant colony and got bitten,

I remember fearing my bike for several years until I conquered it,

I remember learning to swim, somehow already knowing how,

I remember my mind drifting as I floated in the bathtub,

I remember tasting my first Chinese in a quiet restaurant,

I remember leaving my home and going to a new one,

I remember school and the long process of assimilation,

I remember surviving the first heat waves in this strange place

Only to remember staring at snow slung from the sky,

I remember struggling to find a friend,

And finding one at last among the chaos of social life,

I remember learning how to draw,

I remember the pride I took in my art,

I remember learning about the gods of ancient civilizations, come and gone

And I remember wondering if they had it any better than us because of their pure society,

I remember learning of the Chinese ideals, of Harmony, and Zodiac,

And I remember searching for books on Zen,

I remember learning about Buddhism, and the endless cycle of cruel carnations,

I remember,

I remember,

I remember, almost nothing at all of the life that I have lead