I used to live on a street

that consisted of only right

 

and left turns. The hill was so steep

going backwards wasn’t an option;

 

it seemed every trip’s finale

was preordained. I don’t believe in God,

 

but my parents have no sense

of direction, and I was four

 

years old, wanted to walk

to Mexico, take a shortcut through

 

the Marina district, skipping every

blue house until I could open

 

my eyes to a less

fabricated color. I used to see

 

how long I could balance

on the limbs of a pear tree, saw something

 

of myself in the flowering

fruit. It felt like leaning on an old friend.

 

I traded walking for biking

because I couldn’t yet drive

 

and Mexico was farther

than I had imagined.

​

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karinne aguirre

Mount Sinai

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