collab with my younger self

a poem circa 2004 & its present day parallel

As I’ve told you before, my first book was Daughter Nature. However, if we want to get technical, this was actually my first book.

I published this bad boy back in 2005 as an elementary school kid. Titled Secret Life, it contains five poems and corresponding illustrations all created by lil Nat, plus a mess of different fonts and some clip art (yall remember clip art??). While there wasn’t much that was secret about my life in fifth grade (lol), this is still pretty much a title I would name a book today. Also, Secret Lives happens to be one of my favorite ELO songs.

One of these poems in this book is entitled “My Life Poem” and I know what you’re wondering. Yes, all the others are very creatively named as well.

My Life Poem
2004

I am from a comfortable room.
from sunshine and peace.
from stuffed animals and pillows.
and magazines, books, and toys.
I am from home—a room of delight.

I am from a place of nature.
from swing sets to slides.
from sandboxes to tree houses.
and room to run around.
I am from home—trees and bright grasses.

l am from a huge place. 
from five great lakes.
from forests to ponds.
and plants and animals.
I am from home—a place with cities and towns.

I am from great landmarks.
from city to city.
from state to state.
and all four seasons going around.
I am from home—a special continent.

l am from a long line of service.
from everyone who works.
from an extension of helpers.
and helpful people.
I am from home—with a lot of success.

l am from a place where the environment is not taken down.
from a place where forests are forests.
from trees standing tall.
and no cages or traps.
l am from home—the wonderful nature of life.

You can really tell I’ve always been a nature lover, huh?

Now coming across this book 20 years later and coincidentally during the process of writing the book of poetry that I’m planning to publish next, I’ve decided to carve a little space out in this book for that poem. I’ve even written an updated version of it to go along side it:

My Life, 20 Years in the Future
2024

I am from a modest apartment.
from my nightstand in the bedroom, cluttered with books, candles, a turquoise lamp, and stray bottles of nail polish.
from my easel towering over the couch in the living room and my desk, home to a stickered laptop and notebooks and pens.
and a bursting bookshelf, ever-multiplying mounds of art supplies, a spinning record and a steaming coffee mug.
I am from home—a small space absolutely full of life and passion.

I am from a city, mostly buildings but some nature remains.
from the willows swaying in the breeze to the coffee shop within walking distance.
from the spot where I lay in the grass, the blades beneath my feet.
and room to run, new lands to explore.
I am from home—a small city where trees line the streets.

l am from a mitten-shaped state.
from five massive lakes and thousands of small ones.
all the way to the desert state.
with tan mountains, saguaro cacti, standing tall and proud, and purple skies at dusk.
I am from home—at home both in Michigan and Arizona.

I am from Atlantic to the Pacific.
from big cities on the east coast to small regions to the west.
from a couple states to my east, many states to the south, and most states under the western sky.
from swelling springs, stifling summers, my favorite season of fall, and unforgiving winters.
I am from home—the states.

l am a descendant of Maltese immigrants.
from an ancestry of people who left their homes in search of opportunities and security for their future lineage,
from people who’s first priorities are their family and friends and passing down the traditions that make us, us.
and a bloodline that has seen strife, war, depression, and the challenges of time without letting it sink us.
I am from home—a long line of people seeking and achieving their dreams and versions of success.

l am from a place where the environment is respected.
from sacred land and water and fire and air.
from thriving forests and clean oceans and fresh oxygen.
and a planet teeming with animals and organisms of unfathomable variety, incredible ability, and the ever-connected ecosystem cycling throughout time.
l am from home— a grateful resident of our shared planet, a follower of Mother Earth herself.

You’ve now read two of the poems that will be featured in my upcoming book, but these aren’t the first ones I’ve shared! If you’re interested in reading more poetic sneak peeks into this book, you can also check out words unsaid and no competition. And for those of you who are curious to take a glimpse behind the paywall, this progress report shows an even deeper view of my writing process and in this post, I wrote a little about how some depressing stuff became inspiration for a poem.

I’ll be keeping you posted on the writing process here as I make progress on the book. You can subscribe if you want to read right when letters are posted!

—

me, my lil self, and I,

Natalie