Part One- I am my parents’ daughter

I carry their poverty

Their goodness

Their work ethic

Their sadness

Their height

Their love of music and books

Part 2

I am the youngest

Made fun of by siblings

I was the smallest

The weakest

Smart, but not smart enough

Always unable to measure up

In stature and in life

Part 3

Books saved me

Gave me a place to hide

Gave me a world to explore

Gave me hope in darkness

Gave me a family I could be a part of

Part 4

I was alone too much

I lived in fictional worlds

I made up in my head

At some point I wrote them down

That saved me

And destroyed me too

Part 5

I grew up in a town I hated

Sometimes I still miss it

Everyday I dreamed of better places

Still I am the Nebraska girl

But gone is her innocence and stamina

Nebraska is no place for a writer

Part 6

I found my soul

By letting go of the Bible

I found my heart

By being broken

I found my dreams

By running away

Letting go of everything I knew

I found my home