George Ella Lyon wrote her poem “Where I’m From” in 1993 in response to the fear and hate alive in our country and created the I Am From Project. I was introduced to the poem by Dr. Monea Abdul-Majeed, who often opens her anti-racism workshops with a similar exercise, and was inspired to write my own “Where I’m From” poem to honor my dad.
Where I’m From
I am from vanilla milkshakes, from sports coats with jeans and Chuck Taylors. I am from the toy truck (“because my last name’s Hess, you see?”). I am from Hallmark ornaments, concrete garden planters and refurbished bicycles. From Doris, from buttered toast and hot tea with milk (and five spoons of sugar) and waiting for the Chipmunks Christmas Album to play before we could open our presents. From movie quotes and literary allusions and up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A Start. I’m from football tickets on Sunday nights, scrambled eggs on Wednesdays and tuna casserole minus the tuna.
I’m from Hesse and matching family crest tattoos and movie theaters on Christmas Eve night. From church key Budweiser cans crushed in the hands of Mabel and diamonds on the soles of my shoes. From tears over a shaved mustache and waiting through the musical interlude of Steppenwolf until the lyrics come back in at the end. From gotta get up, gotta get out; gotta get home before the mornin’ comes and being roused at the break of dawn to drive to the beach. I’m from Coca Cola and Corona “no vegetable.” I am from those moments–snapped before I budded–leaf-fall from the three family trees in my backyard that made up our baseball diamond.
oh bother. blog 