# data[].attributes.body
I am like a hummingbird, wings moving so quickly, hovering around, looking busy.
Tiny, yet fragile.

Sometimes I feel like a fisherman-
waiting patiently on others, for things out of my control.

In the evenings after 9PM I am like a cat - Lounging, stretching, content,looking away, napping, mellow, and seldom responding to my name.

I am like a river rock-
water rushes by me. I stay put. I am always trying to polish myself and smooth myself, to improve..

# data[].attributes.body
I am like the sun, warm, and reliable, and happy to see people shine.
I am Peeta Mellark, loyal and willing to make sacrifices for those I love.
I am like a butterfly, light and airy.
I am green and purple.
I am a shark, always in motion.

# data[].attributes.body
I am like a book, a page turner, with twists and turns.

I am a hummingbird, fluttering from one delectable blossom to another.

I am like a wave, beautiful, powerful,  and sometimes turbulent.

I am a bridge connecting people, ideas, communities.

I am like the morning sun, radiating light and warmth.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a rock- solid, sometimes smooth edges, sometimes jagged edges.

I am a mask, willing to protect people and also be the safety of hiding -for myself and anyone else who needs it.

I am a plant, constantly growing, sometimes parched, searching for the sunlight with browning leaves and new sprouts, both.

I am a seashell, from the roar of the ocean to the warmth the sand, adapting to new environments, able to hold multitudes.

I am glasses, sometimes bringing things into focus and sometimes not being able to see in the distance beyond all the chaos and panic.

I am the teakettle, ferocious whistle when I am heated, providing comforting tea for some, scalding burns for some, myself included.

I am the ocean waves, lifting people up and also crashing down around them.

I am a heart full of sorrow and joy and hope and despair and regret and gratitude and rage and forgiveness: I can hold it all.

# data[].attributes.body
I am the water that flows so calmly and smoothly taking each twist and turn with ease.

I am the strength water that flows with force pushing things along. Water that cleansing out the old to bring in the new.

I am the warm sun that brings warmth, love, compassion,  understanding, and growth. I shine down every so gently bringing out the vibrant color in Mother Earth.

I am the red scorching sun on a hot summer day. Bringing the fire and heat in my truth.

I am a force of nature.

I am what becomes of water and the sun.

I am ALWAYS the sun shinning behind the clouds.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a mama bear watching over my cub, protecting him, making sure he stays safe in this crazy world.

I am like an aspen, standing peacefully taking in the sights of the world, gently making my presence known.

I am like a deer, taking my time to observe and plan out my every move before taking my next step.

I am a mountain, strong and solid holding up those around me.

I am the crystal blue water of a lake sparkling in the sun letting everyone enjoy my inner beauty.

I am like a waterfall, sometimes gently trickling down the mountain listening to others around me, sometimes thundering over the rocks making my voice heard.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a sandwich -

Peanut butter: occasionally chunky, usually smooth

Mornings melt me down through craters of a warm, toasty English muffin

Afternoons with spicy sourdough or nutty whole wheat and tart berry jam (seedless, of course)

I am the green and purple violet plant that

mom nurtured with her soft brush and

avoided watering from the top down

I am like Autumn,

enjoying crisp weekday mornings,

but reveling in a warm evening walk

I am like a quokka selfie: “unreasonably” happy all the time

I am an embroidery hoop with twinkling tea light eyes

Stitching a work of heart

Burning with hope

# data[].attributes.body
I am like an ocean wave, moving with the current -  choppy and smooth.
I am like a hungry bear, planning my day around each meal.
I am like the 8 tentacled octopus, juggling tasks while squeezing into unwanted places.
I am like a newborn bird, uncertain of the world around and the strength within.
I am the darkest parts of the sea, mysterious and amazed.

# data[].attributes.body
I am like the marine layer-cloudy in the beginning and later, full of sun.

I am like a blank piece of paper-waiting for ideas and open to possibilities

I am pink.

I am summer at the beach, peaceful and warm.

I am like a starfish, strong and capable of renewal.

# data[].attributes.body
I am quiet like a leaf sitting on top of a compelling, towering tree,

Waiting for the winds of change to make me dance

And shimmer in the sunlight.

I am a song that echoes in peoples ear drums

With a hook that people can’t stop singing.

I am an unearthed diamond

Ready to be immersed in the sun,

To shine like no other element.

I am the dawn -when darkness meets light,

And everything – flora and fauna

Comes alive,

Ready to love, learn and discover new beginnings.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a cool mountain stream

Seeming to be in one spot

Yet always moving

Great for dipping in toes

But far too icy in jump in completely

I am an Edsel

Ungainly on the outside

But, damn, check out what’s under the hood

I am a garden that escaped its owner:

Untidy, unkempt, untamed

I am a deep, resonant red

What is that called? Carmine?

But then again, maybe I’m blue

I am poblano chilies in cream sauce

I am forever dawn

The sun peeking just above the horizon

In perpetuity

I am a sloth:

Slow

but

filled

with

great

purpose

# data[].attributes.body
I am like a cloudy morning - easing into a sunny day.

I am like a tiger - a part of nature.

I am like a cup of black coffee - strong and bold.

I am like a park - full of comforting benches.

I am like a favorite old time movie - full of history and nostalgia.

I am like the color orange - both sunny bright and dark amber.

# data[].attributes.body
I am the storm clouds, dark and heavy on the horizon.

I am the rain, bursting free in a torrential downpour.

I am the blue sky, peeking through as the storm passes.

I am the sun, creating a colorful show as it sets.

# data[].attributes.body
I am like charcuterie, arranging the parts of my Self to be seen, to be functional, to be art.

I am chips and salsa, common and filling. Necessary. The fruit and the stone.

I am like cheese, smooth and tangy. Crossing space and time, the new and the old.

And also like salami, a bit of pepper on the tongue, both positive and perhaps negative.

# data[].attributes.body
I’m like a summer thunderstorm.

Generally predictable but more wild than anyone expected.

I am the West Coast.  No longer the East.

If life is the rhythm, I am the music.  The lyrics being written with each new day.

I am the sun, no longer the moon.  Shining my own light as far as it will reach.

I’m like country music.  A mix of sad old songs and hopeful new lyrics best enjoyed with friends.  (Never trust someone who says they don’t like country music:)

I am the book not yet written.  The early chapters that were torn out slowly being uncrumpled and pieced back together.  Edited to make this life a story worth reading.

I am a black flamingo.

# data[].attributes.body
By Margaret Bergamin

This is me:
I am a shining hot sun
lighting a path for my loved ones around me.

I am the calm, comforting waves curing everything in its path.

I am the rainbow to my students -- Turn that frown upside down, my dears. You are so loved!

I am a wild leopard, so anxious to be tamed, so glad to be feared.

I am the Eiffel Tower: a beacon of hope for all weary travelers, a symbol for all to grab that WANDERLUST bug

I am 3 0'clock on a June-gloomy day snuggling with warm pages under a velvety, red blanket
I am the words that take me places - to a world of discovery and more.

This is me!

# data[].attributes.body
I am like my morning coffee, strong and a little bit sweet.

I am a dolphin, gliding effortlessly through the sea.

I am yellow. At least on most days.

I am a tall, sturdy redwood tree with roots buried deep in the ground.

I am deep like a wishing well, seemingly bottomless yet encased in stone.

I can be blunt like a hammer, forgetting to soften my blow.

I am a compass, with authenticity as my north star.

I am truth. I am sun. I am steady. I am me.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a butterfly souring through the blue skies
Adorned with color and grace.

I am a lioness
Strong, ambitious, and loyal.

I am an owl with a lingering old soul and an observant eye.

I am a turtle
slowly and mindfully testing the waters ahead.

I am like a surprising book with an unassuming cover
Altering others' assumptions upon being opened and carefully read.

# data[].attributes.body
I am like the mandarin oranges that grow in my yard, a little lumpy, a few scars and kind of tart.

I am clouds, drifting slowly across the sky--only sometimes do I show the thunder and lighting I harbor within.

I don't spend as much time thinking about who I am as some--probably because I don't have to. I know that's not true for others.

# data[].attributes.body
I am that early morning bird sitting on that branch eyeing early morning people walking, jogging, biking around my tree.

I am a soft pillow waiting for someone to get comfortable as they read, listen to music, or take an afternoon nap.

I am a cup, sometimes very full, sometimes completely empty, most of the time with enough room for cream.

I am also a pot on family occasions filled with Chamorro red rice, the staple surrounded by smells and flavors of barbequed chicken, fish and kelaguen, food made in community and with love.

I am that early morning bird eyeing those early morning people filled with hope, ready to listen, learn, and grow.

# data[].attributes.body
I am the yellow lab of creativity, enthusiastically wagging my tail at opportunities to make, write, and create, but also quickly succumbing to a lazy summer afternoon of snoozing on the couch.

I am the insatiable traveler, always hoping, planning, and eyeing new-to-me destinations, feeding off novel experiences, fueled by adventures with new friends from foreign lands.

I am a budding flower in the garden of COVID, turning my face toward the sun for nourishment, aware of all the others, rooted in the same soil, finding their own way of growing through the chaos, limited resources, pests, and all.

I am a drop in the vast ocean of life, part of salty emotions, ebbing and flowing, rising and falling, learning to joyfully go with the tide.

# data[].attributes.body
I am lavender, unleashed by the sun and moved by the wind beckoning the bees of intellectual stimulation.  Summer is the perfect time for wild growth in untamed gardens.

Like sea glass, age has weathered my edges, smoothing some and sharpening others.  I squint to hear the nuances of other’s lived experiences through my own lenses, keenly listening.

I am that last puzzle piece, the one that should fit but often doesn’t no matter which way it’s turned and twisted.

I am words, written and spoken constantly running through my head, through my dreams, through my nightmares.  Words to make sense, to express, to understand, to soothe and comfort, words that can be heard by the head and the heart.

I am wires and wireless, yesterday and tomorrow, lost and found, continually searching for meaning and magic…life’s work.

# data[].attributes.body
I am like the ocean, calm yet untamable and strong.

I am sea glass, once shattered and broken and now smooth and renewed.

I am like the sun shining through the storm. Like a beacon of hope.

I am like the gentle breeze behind your back, slowly encouraging you to keep moving forward.

I am like the mountain stream, finding my way by carving my path as I go, never letting obstacles hold me back for long.

I am like the Lotus flower who blooms the most beautifully when she grows out of the mud;

Or the dragonfly who has just crawled out of the water and is just ready to fly.

I am perfectly imperfect. I am me.

# data[].attributes.body
I am water, moving and flowing adapting to the ever changing weather conditions of life.

I am like headphones, sometimes listening in on what is important and other times trying to drown out the constant sounds all around.

I am a bird, wanting to often take flight.

I am a fish jumping in and out of the lake in search of the next tasty meal.

I am the morning, waking early, awake and ready.

I am more of a question mark than an exclamation.

I am like a chameleon, shape shifting, changing colors more often than I wish.

I am like a molten lava cake. Strong on the outside, but cut me and I melt.

I am purple and green and blue. It just depends on the day.

I am, I am, I am.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a candle, burning brightly, sometimes at both ends.

I am a rubber band, flexible, changing, holding things together.

I am a sunflower, standing tall and strong, guarding the garden.

I am coffee, soothing, warm,  providing quiet morning times of reflection.

I am a journal, a place to hide your secrets, share your joys, process the impossible, putting dreams into action.

I am the beach, a place to breathe, long walks, toes in the sand, sunsets with friends,  the rhythm of the surf calming the soul.

I am sunrise, hopeful for new beginnings and second chances.

# data[].attributes.body
I am still the joy beneath the black mask,

My COVID coif jauntily waving at passers-by,

Extending furry fingers

Always a safe six feet away.

I am the comfort of savory calories,

Burritos and pasta and ice cream,

Obviously tucked away just in case

They need to nourish

When this is over

When I am still the joy

without a black mask

# data[].attributes.body
Tamayoshi
I am a warm pair of shoes on a cold winter morning, always comforting, cushioning, protecting me from the harsh, crisp snow that never touches the ground in San Diego, but still reminds me of the comfort of love we all need.

I am a high heel that makes me look 5 feet and 3, 4, 5 inches, but allows me to go from tall to small in a heartbeat.  Sometimes it may hide the things that I keep to myself, while other times I am shouting out in full view all that is.

I am strength and power of a runner that feels as if I am floating on clouds, but can’t  wait to unveil the nakedness of reality.

I am a traveler, wanting to discover all that is and all that will be.

# data[].attributes.body
I am the unlit match, seeking

the flinty invitation of spark,

The puzzle piece in search of the Gestalt

The number three, that odd sister

I can’t be the sugar snap pea,

Tidy in her sleeping-bag pod

So I celebrate as a tomato seed,

Splashing in her oozy pool

I’ve tried to be the sun and the shiny penny,

But the clock always strikes midnight,

So I translate the wind, become

The whirligig and the crow feather

I am hazel and grey, the in-betweens

The “i” dotted with a heart, always in love

Hopeful in each breath of morning,

I am that little finch I see out my window,

Skittering on the tremble of leaf...Up! Up! Fly!

# data[].attributes.body
I am like a summer day in the mountains

Friendly and pleasant

With a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm

I am a classic truck, hardworking and reliable

I am a piano, mostly tinkling lightly

Until someone pounds on my keys

I am like sushi - a simple exterior

With a complicated interior

I am purple

I am late afternoon

Satisfied with daylight accomplishments

Looking forward to evening celebrations

And bedtime

I am like a cat, everything in my own time