Where I'm From

Several weeks ago, Fred First over at FragmentsFromFloyd wrote about a poem called "Where I'm From", written by George Ella Lyons. He put up his own version of the poem and issued a challenge (and a template, see below) to write our own poem about where we are from. He included an update this weekend on his blog which reminded me that I had not yet written my poem. My poetic muse has all but disappeared on me and writing something with a pattern is an easy and fun way to write a poem without too much pressure. Here's my version. I may have taken some liberties with some of the subject suggestions, but that's okay. I may even work on this one some more at a later date.

Check out Fred's update and see what you can come up with on your own self. It's fun, it's fast, it's fabulous, it's free! You too can be a poet before you know it!

Where I'm From

I am from young love that has endured,
from fresh milk and sandy red dirt.

I am from hands held at church.

I am from the scent of honeysuckle
through an open window on a July night.

I am from blessings said and strength,
from Isum and Loyal, who I knew
and from Katie and Bolen, who I did not.

I am from quiet ones, from crazy ones.

From paddle your own canoe
and love one another as you love yourself.

I am from the Christian faith, real and alive,
the glue that bound us all together.

I am not from Orange, though there I was born.
I am from the fruit of the earth, from watermelon
to peas shelled on my grandparent’s porch.

From J, with a tough outer shell, and shaky innards
from C, who always seeks the good in others.

I am from Six Mile Creek, from Sugartown,
from dairy barns and corn fields.


The WHERE I'M FROM Template

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______. I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail). I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail) I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name). I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one). From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another). I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description. I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family). From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member). I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).