fire.
a burning flame,
full of wrath and hatred,
holding grudges against people
who loved you the most.

water.
flooding water pouring through streets,
pouring down cheeks,
as you curled yourself into a ball,
reassuring yourself you’d be okay.

air.
a calm, sweet wind,
moved trees and sent the scent
of flowers to your lungs,
calming you as you took
a long, slow breath.

earth
the cool, soft earth
that you dig your nails in,
holding on tighter than imagined,
and you wondered,
how could you lose yourself?

who am I?
I am who?*
when asked such a question,
the first thing one may think of
is the place where they were given life,
as culture is linked to identity.
however, it is not the case,
nor does it involve one's namesake.
instead, it focuses on the person
as a whole
their value and their purpose
for this time being
life involuntarily places us
in positions that lead to questioning
the self.
yet,
it is through such inquiries
that we learn to answer this question.