Because Of

By Erin Leach-Ogden

Erin Leach-Ogden reads her poem “Because Of”

Today my ears listened
to no less than five languages,
all human.

Today my eyes recorded
images of a thousand colors and styles,
all human.

Today my voice spoke
greetings of kindness to other passing faces, and smiles returned to me,
so human.

Because of today,
I am that much more human and none-the-less
me.

Born in the living room of a 3rd floor walk-up apartment outside Scranton Pennsylvania, Erin joined the Army at 21 and became a 3rd generation combat veteran after multiple tours in Afghanistan. She currently lives, and sometimes writes, in Charleston SC with her lovely husband and lazy dog.