Where I'm From

I`m from Malt-O-Meal cereal And the smell of Windex and glasses in second grade. From the rope swing and the sycamore tree in our front yard, taller than the house is long I`m from the willow shoots in the back yard. They used to be up to my knee, but are now much taller than me I`m from east and west, north and south. From Virginia to Oregon, Georgia to Washington, I`m from the family of “Same difference” and “Get a grip”. From “We`re moving again” and “You have to share a room with your sister. I`m from fried chicken and coffee cake on birthdays and Charles Dickens at Christmas. From turkey and jelly beans on Easter I`m from the old house in Paris that`s covered in vines from Winnie the Pooh and Blues Clues and “try to color inside the lines” I`m from goat heads and weeds in the garden, overgrowing the strawberries and tomatoes the ripest one just out of reach. I`m from John and Jen, From the Golden Oldies that they love so much Watching “The Time Zone” at New Years. I`m from slamming doors and open windows, I`m from the box of photographs under my bed From the smiles and laughs frozen forever in time that no one knows are there. I`m from them and they make me who I am.