Where I’m From
George Ella Lyon I am from clothspins 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. Im from the know it alls And the pass it ons From Perk Up! And Pipe Down! Im from He restoreth my soul With a cottonball lamb And ten verses I can say myself. Im 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. During our spring retreat, we were read this poem to remember where we came from. Although I try to focus on the future and what that may look like, I realized during the retreat how important it is to remember where I come from. I come from my hometown, my parents, my extended family, the countries my extended family came from, and all the traits that I inherited. I come from the lakes of northern and Southern Minnesota, a small town in West Virginia, Norway, Sweden, German, and Ireland. I come from a deep-rooted sense of family. I come from a strong Lutheran faith. The values and morals I apply to my everyday day, which helps determine my future I learned from my parents and grandparents. Where I’m From Elaina Johnson Where I am from the coffee pot is always full, The front door is always unlocked, and everyone Knows my name. Where I am from loud is the normal volume, Music is always playing, And the scent of Swedish meatballs at Christmas Is wafting through the house. Where I am from John Denver, Garrison Keillor, and NPR Play on the radio, Please and thank you start and end your sentences, and everyone is Aunt and Uncle. Where I am from family dinners are a priority, phone calls that we are going to be late are non negotiable, and Mom knows all our friends. I am from a 3 story house in the country, Neighbors are more than people who live next door, Keys are left in the ignition, and friends walk on in. I am from coffee, from where life isn’t slowing down, and from strong family connections.
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Elaina JohnsonI am from a town on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. I grew up in Hudson, WI, where I had the privilege of returning after graduating from Winona State University with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Archives
December 2016
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