I am from candlelight
from frilly lace and slippered feet.
I am from the broken bedroom mirror trimmed in golden fleur-de-lis.
I am from showy-scarlet snapdragons, tall on Grandma’s fence
the stains of fallen crabapples, fresh on Grandpa’s hands.
I’m from ice skating and dirt bikes
one down and five up
from Lucy Evangeline’s poetry
and the rule of Lord Curzon.
I’m from the go-for-its
and the soft-hearted
from fiercely independent and just because.
I’m from Let There Be Peace On Earth
barefoot, in a college town.
I’m from the Rhineland and England
buttered knedle and all things chocolate.
From Grandpa’s beloved woodworking patterns
and summers on Michigan lakes.
Across the bridge and further down a winding river’s road
held safely in my mother’s arms within my childhood home
the treasure of my family resides.
~
Copyright © Kelly Huntson and kellyhuntson.com All rights reserved.
*originally published December, 2018
Written as an exercise with my writing group using a template (loosely) from George Ella Lyon’s poem, “Where I’m From.”
If you’ve never written a “Where I’m From” poem, I highly recommend it! They can be written over and over again at any age. You may even learn something new about your ancestry. The more personal and specific you are with the details, the more special it will be for you.
Here is a link to the template for the poem if you are interested.
Kelly Huntson 