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I am from a split-level home on the hill, with strawberry wallpaper and avocado kitchen appliances. I am from the sheers blowing lightly in a hot August breeze against the back of an orange corduroy couch.
I am from crepe myrtles and azaleas bursting with blooms, from soft zoysia grass, or maybe St. Augustine. I am from the preserves made from a far-away fig tree.
I am from story-telling and blowing kisses after the blessing, from Kate and Katie and Terry and Chester and John and Elizabeth and Susan Elizabeth and MooMoo. I am from family first and integrity matters.
I am from long talks on the bed and sentimental collections in shadowboxes.
From "be sweet" and "you need a destination" and "I want you to know that I'm proud of you."
I am from Southern Baptist stock: Wednesday night suppers, the Living Christmas Tree, the first, second and last verse out of the hymnal--especially 475 on Sunday night--and the Funny Face Festival.
I'm from Dallas and East Texas and even a little bit from Arkansas; from strawberry bread and buttermilk chicken.
From the Last Great Family Vacation (parts I through VI), the fajita and the agony of eyedrops.
I am from the sunroom armoire, filled with picked-over photo albums (the best pictures long since harvested for one project or another) and almost-forgotten treasures that summon memories with a sudden cry of recognition. I am from a nest egg of memories: everyday moments sanctified simply by being shared.
***********************************************I first read one of these poems here: http://owlhaven.wordpress.com/2006/04/21/i-am-from/
and if you are inclined to write your own--which I highly recommend, especially if you send me a copy-- you can find the format here: http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/archives/2005_02.html#00314 (scroll down to the entry for February 25, 2005 for links to many poems and the entry for February 18, 2005 for the form.)
3 comments:
Wendy, your writing is amazing, and I hope that you will share more of your "works".
Beautiful!
Amy
PS: I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have someone like you in my family -- if I didn't know you, my path would never have crossed a Baptist, Southern lady, such as yourself. It's a pleasure.
I did one of these way back in the day when Owlhaven first ran this little writing project and posted mine here: http://www.northofthe49.com/blog/?p=98
Thanks so much for sharing yours. You did a wonderful job.
As always, beautifully done. I could easily see where I was from in what you wrote...but after I linked to the directions, I realized how vivid your descriptions were. If I followed that formula, it would probably sound like a Mad Lib. but then again, I come from Mad Libs.
Love you,
Susan
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