I Was Raised by Clouds

I was born in a circus.
My mom was an acrobat.
My dad was a sword swallower.
That explains why I can eat a cactus
without leaving a trace
in my throat
And why I’m as stretchy as a rubber band.
I was raised by the clouds.
They taught me to fly.
They also taught me to love
and how to be loved back.
I created a home far away from noise.
I made friends with the birds, the bugs, and the bees.
The cold never bothered me.
I don’t know why.
The sun woke me up
and the moon put me to bed.
I always wanted
to ride a dragon
all the way
to the moon
and back again.

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Ivy Herr, age 9
San Francisco, California
Commodore Sloat Elementary School
Teacher: Susan Terence (Calif. Poets in the Schools)