it is a question i think about often.

who am i to me? who am i to you?

sometimes i feel certain i know the answer,

other times i wonder if i’m living a different version of myself every single day.

daughter, sister, teacher, partner,

i come from the lakes, now i breathe mountain air.

painter, climber, mover, lover.

i was born near a forest, i hope to die near one, too.

i am the strokes that i paint,

and the stitches i sew.

i am the steps that i take,

and the love that i grow.

i am the pain that i feel,

and the tears that i shed.

i am naive, i am hopeful, i am tired, i am learning.

i am alive.

what more is there to be than that?