I remember

i remember the day my mother told me why i'm not stupid. i remember the pine tree in the front yard of my childhood. i remember big dolly who used to pretend to be my mother whenever i was afraid. i remember saving a mouse from my cats with my dads rain boots. i remember falling asleep next to the fire place. i remember my daddy dipping two fingers into a glass of water to gently spread across my tear stained eyes. i remember singing karaoke with my siblings when we were too little to say the words right and too happy to care. i remember a party of two watching pooh bear on my best friends twelfth birthday in fuzzy pajamas. i remember tape gum. i remember my sisters bandages. i remember catching butterflies with grocery bags tied to sticks. i remember never keeping my shoes on no matter where i was. i remember breaking my arm. i remember fake nails. i remember my mother holding me in our old green rocking chair. i remember her singing outside my bedroom door, playing her steel string guitar. i remember twinkle, twinkle little star, before bed, and big x if i were lucky. i remember kittens. i remember baby birds. i remember pink, then purple, then green, then yellow, then white. i remember begging to take a wounded salamander home. i remember my sister guessing my first crush with a paper fortune teller. i remember yelling through the air vent to see if it was time to open presents yet. i remember the firs time i punched a wall, it was an accident... i remember leaving carrots for the Easter bunny. i remember wondering why it didn't hurt. i remember the first time i road a motorcycle. i remember falling on my face in the snow at recess. i remember the first time i made a choice for myself. i remember the first time i went to the temple. i remember hiding under my bed to hide the tears I wanted to wipe away. i remember staring at Christmas lights for longer than i should have. i remember light filtering through bright green leaves. i remember tears i couldn't stop because i was so happy. i remember my twelfth birthday. i remember that evil turkey who bit my finger. i remember the first, and last, time i bit ever my dad's finger. i remember my first date. i remember the seven years. i remember dreaming of him. i still dream of him. i remember clutching a book to my chest with a sigh as i always do when i read books. i remember the that first fight my best friend and i ever had was over nail polish. i remember so much...so much i never want to forget.