The Anywhere-but-here Girl

I have always been taught,
a cultural osmosis beginning at birth,
to never get too attached
to anyone or anything.
I was told to stay on the move,
and always leave a suitcase packed,
to run,
far and fast,
to burn my bridges,
cut all my ties,
and never put down any roots.

I am nothing if not a good student.
I've learned my lessons.
I've etched them on my heart.
I have become the anywhere-but-here girl.
Restless.
Listless.
Aimless.
Lost.

I wrote the first iteration of this poem as part of an assignment in January of 2010. Every so often I come back to it, trying to hone it a little bit more each time. Rootlessness is something I've been thinking about a lot lately, so it seemed like an appropriate moment to pull it out again.