Dear Me by Mike Schmid

dublin

he asked me
if i'm
from england

and i laughed
i

said no

i'm from texas

as
soon as i said it
i knew

it wasn't true.
he came in shivering
and i stood there
watching

in my little glow worm world and
decided

i do.
i do come from england.

my ankles
like stonehenge
buckle and

my buildings swell
before they break
and i

feel the artist parts of me
sink in italian
by the bones
of

the ancient sea  and

i wish
i was.

i could see myself there,
shining,
like a lightning bug
doomed

to illuminate the pages
of history,
but never,

never to be
a part

of them.