At an office in Milan I was working with a woman named Ida who had a wall in her office decorated with “art” that her two children had done. Melvin, her son, had also written a poem. Things move pretty slowly at times in Italy, so I had a chance to read it. It was actually pretty darn good, so when she wasn’t looking I wrote it down.

I Am
by Melvin Zaid

I am different and sometimes wild
I wonder what it looks inside of me
I hear snakes talking
I see sharks in my bathtub
I want to travel a lot
I am different and sometimes wild

I pretend to be Spiderman
I feel space
I touch the universe
I worry of the sun going out
I cry if I think of losing somebody
I am different and sometimes wild

I understand that space is big
I say that the world should be quieter
I dream to run in a marathon
I try to do my best
I hope to help people
I am different and sometimes wild