Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon I am from clothespins, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMiAgERbvBw 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'm 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 a cottonball lamb and ten verses 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, to 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.

“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon Places Events People Imagery Things backporch Artemus (KY) Billie’s Branch (creek) under the bed church worship service lost finger lost eyesight father grandfather Imogene Alafair Clorox (smell) dirt (taste) finger (feel) coffee (smell) lost faces (see) fudge (taste) cottonballs (touch) clothespins forsythia bush Clorox Dutch elm tree dress box/pictures auger cottonball lamb Bible corn / coffee fudge

“Where I’m From” – DAY 1 Now it’s your turn: Brainstorming a list of old memories, writing them down on your chart. Then fill in words on your template to create your own poem

“Where I’m From” – DAY 2 Using your completed template: Type your poem Edit it using Spellcheck Add one image that appears in the text of your poem.

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'm 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 a cottonball lamb and ten verses 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, to 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.

“Where I’m From” by Casey McDonald Places Events People Imagery Things brick house Midway (KY) Austin (TX) suburbs Grandfather lost sight to diabetes Grandmother’s arthritis (?) Erlene John Cecil III Grandmother Grandaddy’s Sandpaper (feel) Bible scripture (hear) Beatles song (hear) stereos Cheerios fossil fuels sandbur books cavities Bourbon balls photos diabetes smiles