Memory Poem
I am a child
of wonder again and
rain tells me to watch
for snails and slugs.
I gather dirt, sand, and sticks
for the terrarium
where I make a safe home
away from footsteps, fast cars, and ditch water.
I don’t want them to die
so I make them
a space for living.
I ask my ma to buy lettuce
because in the book I got from the library
I learned they will eat lettuce.
I am
greedy to learn
what keeps everything alive.
Their spiral shapes leave shiny trails behind.
I imagine I am a snail leaving
magic everywhere I go.
Copyright © 2026 by Marlanda Dekine. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on January 30, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets.
“When it began to rain, I stepped onto the front porch and listened, remembering how often I did this as a child. I turned to automatic writing, letting the poem come without trying to control what emerged. In crafting it, I found myself returning to that early sense of attention and wonder. I hope this poem holds the memory in a way I can return to.”
—Marlanda Dekine
Marlanda Dekine
