Moonlight

At the corner of Avenue road and Ellington
There was a delicatessen on the northwest side of the street
I met my aunt there on my 21st birthday to grab something to eat
That was a moment that changed just about everything
Such a kind and thoughtful gesture from our past adventures
When she was my chaperon
From the East Coast to the West Coast and then back home
She handed me a silver ring with an ordinary stone
One that I had picked up on the beach nearly 20 years ago

Growing up, I wanted the world to see me, but I didn't want to be me
So I shed my skin and became a restless hollow shadow trying to fit in
Skipping stones on the water
Watching ripples alter
The relative cognizance seeps into our very own relevance and culture

Moonlight shone at the break of dawn beyond the reservoir
I was handcuffed to the backseat of a police car
I was arrested a few times, but the real crime is all the friends that I buried
To this day, I still don't know why we were all in such a hurry

These are the moments that make all of us who we are
The sadness and the sorrow, and every tomorrow, makes you who you are
The pain and the suffering, the hope of recovering makes us who we are
The love and the laughter, and everything that matters makes us who we are
Our troubles and worries, and all of our stories make us who we are
Every distraction and every course of action makes us who we are
The smile on our faces and all of our places make us who we are
The highs and the lows, and everyone we know makes us who we are