Where I’m From

Where I’m From By: George Ella Lyon I am from clothespins, from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. I am from the dirt under the back porch. (Black, glistening it tasted like beets.) I am from the forsythia bush, the Dutch elm whose long gone limbs I remember as if they were my own.

I am from fudge and eyeglasses, from Imogene and Alafair. I’m from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons, from perk up and pipe down. I’m from He restoreth my soul with cottonball lamb and ten verse I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch, fried corn and strong coffee. From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger the eye my father shut to keep his sight. Under my bed was a dress box spilling old pictures. a sift of lost faces to drift beneath my dreams. I am from those moments – snapped before I budded – leaf-fall from the family tree.

Now you do it! Using the handout as a guide, create your own “Where I’m From” poem. Use the bulleted points from the MEMORY BOX on the handout to help you think of words to personalize your poem. Use sights, sounds, smells, and sayings that remind you of home and family.

Where I’m From – 6 Steps Step One: Items found around your house: Write at least 3. I am from flip flops, Chipotle wrappers and family photos.

Step Two: Items found in your yard: Write at least 3. I am from tall sycamores, The beautiful bird of paradise, and a rusty blue wheelbarrow.

Step Three: Names of relatives and traditions that link you to the past: Write at least 4. I’m from Nannie and Pappa, from Tio Luis y Tia Rita, from traditions and customs, from posadas and quincineras, and the mother I never knew.

Step Four: Sayings: Write at least 2. I am from Pipe it up! and I’m sorry, from Whazzup, dude? From Father, forgive me, for I have sinned, and You’ll never amount to anything.

Step Five: Names of foods and dishes that recall family gatherings: Write at least 4. I am from queso con tortillas, to carne con chile y horchata. I am from the great people of Mexico, to the frijoles and sopa they ate.

Step Six: Name a place that you keep your childhood memories, i.e. diary, box, or drawer: Write at least 1. On a shelf in my closet, tucked away from the cares of life, I keep treasured notes and photos hidden in an old cigar box.

Try to end your poem with a line or two that links your present to your past. Some examples: I am growing and chaning Into the one I will become. I am from the place I hold now only as a memory, from a family across the sea.

Where I’m From by: Maureen Grandchamp I am from chewed up dogs toys, From worn, well-read books, soft feather pillows, lost switchers and empty chairs at the table. I am from hummingbirds fighting over the nectar, prickly cacti, and the broken fence that no one has fixed. (Hanging desperately on its last hinge.) From wild grapevines, and the bright orange of the Disneyland rose.

I am from Mama and Baba, soccer Saturdays and a day of mourning. From Bruce and Katherine before it all ended and the excitement of opening one present the night before. I am from You’re wasting daylight, As you wish, and We’re here about your father. From Abracadabra you’re a sandwich and Don’t tell Mama.

I am from cheese enchiladas, the fat in the baked beans, fruity crockpot chicken, and Waldorf salad. From KD burgers, Diet Coke, and salami and cream cheese sandwiches.

I am from happiness and discomfort. From home is where the heart is, and holding on. My memories rest on the airplane in my room, collecting dust that I occasionally sweep away. This is where I am from, and I carry it to where I am going.