Multitudes

I contain multitudes…

I relish the rich timber of Michael Bublé’s voice as much as I do

The upbeat metallic rock of Blink-182.

I could eat a giant bowl of salad

Or a giant bowl of chocolate

Either at any given time.

(Even when I’m not particularly hungry.)

I cannot tolerate people who refuse to own up to their mistakes,

Yet I tend to own up to mistakes I have not made.

My sister’s Cookie Monster impression makes me laugh

As much as The Office.

I believe every living thing should be treated with kindness,

And yet my mouth waters at the aroma of a flank steak

Cooking on the embers of the grill.

Spending a day on the beach is paradise,

But so is a loving smile from my mom

After a long day at school.

Running for two seconds is misery,

But a three hour trek through the woods—

Climbing boulders and stumbling through ivy—

Is a different story.

The sight of a basketball in gym class sends shivers down my spine,

But I’m a fencer.

Bruises line my arms and legs from my last bout—

My opponent had quite a powerful lunge.

I never flinch at the sight of blood,

But I can’t watch horror movies,

Especially the gorry ones,

The ones with serial killers and misery.

I advocate for healthy eating,

But I bake sweets consistently,

Especially around the Holidays.

The aroma of chocolate chip cookies

And pound cake and brownies

And sugar cookie cut-outs wafts through the house.

I don’t expect others to be perfect,

Yet I expect myself to be.

Seeing a bear in the woods does not make me flinch,

But the sight of a pink jellyfish,

Its flesh colored, slimy surface

Sends me running out of the water,

As if I’ve seen a ghost.

Sometimes, a touching scene from a movie can make me cry,

But sometimes, I cry for no reason at all.

I don’t enjoy hugs,

Except when they’re from my family—

Then, hugs are the rainbows of life,

The best things of all.