By: Neva Mellow

I list off the things I want to remember when I’m older, but I keep forgetting to write them down 

1) the lyrics to Jersey Giant by Evan Honer / a song I blast on repeat as I drift through airport terminals / or sing into the crackling campfire / sitting in the dark in my childhood backyard

2) the smell of my parent’s house when my sister is busy baking cookies / always at Christmastime / the kitchen a mess / the cookies slightly burnt around the edges / an aroma that never gets old 

3) the way my little dog’s paws twitch in her sleep / chasing down the mailman / darting after the chipmunks / playing in the sunshine 

4) the view from the top of the Empire State Building / seen at sunset / the busy city bustling below / lights flickering on in the penthouses across the way

5) the feeling of absolute freedom / found only in full surrender to nature / following in Thoreu’s footsteps / wandering through an alpine forest / moving through fields of lupine / climbing up Mt. Tallac

6) the warmth of my little sister’s hand / delicate fingers weaving their way through my own / holding on / pulling me back / as I walk away from home

I list off the things I want to remember when I’m older, but writing them down won’t stop me from forgetting