Where I'm From

I got this from Sue’s place, who got it from Mary, who got this from Fragments from Floyd, February 18, 2005 (the template can be found here). It’s a little exercise in poetry called:

Where I’m From

I am from sweet smelling nectar
from Tide Detergent and Lemon Fresh Joy.
I am from the forest, deep in the woods
from the Licking River Valley,
and my dear Shady Oaks.
I’m from visits from my children
and family get-togethers.
From vacations with family
and sharing memories.
I’m from boating, setting trout lines,
swimming and exploring.
From searching for arrowheads,
picking up pebbles,
walking in the rain
and watching a thunderstorm.
I am from the mighty tall oak,
a field full of daisies
with long green stems
that tickle my toes.
From riding with the wind,
getting soaked and seeing a rainbow.
I’m from strawberry cream squares,
strawberry shortcake,
from grandma’s frozen dessert,
and from Rebecca and Tomas.
I am from royalty and ranchers,
Mixtec and peasants,
from, “you can be anything
you want to be”
to “mind your manners”
and “be respectful to your elders,”
follow the Ten Commandments.
I’m from sweet Mother Earth,
who led me to Christ,
who showed me the way
to live a good life.
From Catholics and Protestants
and an atheist or two.
I’m from California and Mexico,
from beans and tortillas,
and from a childhood sweetheart
I met at 14.
I’m from the President of Mexico,
who turned into a dictator,
the gardener, my grandfather,
who dug in the dirt
of the Huntington Library.
I am from hidden treasures
that are lost to me forever,
hidden in their closets,
their basements, and their attics.
From the faceless mother
who I shall never see,
and the wonderful husband
who blesses me.
This is where I’m from.