Where I'm From:

I am from Dawn dish soap,

from dirty dishes and drying racks.  

I am from the wooden tiles that are littered across the expanded ceiling.

( tawny brown when the sun hits, thick,

it has ripples that make your fingers go up and down as they dance across.)

I am from the pink rhododendrons,

the lingering above your head pine trees

that shed bark when curiosity gets the best of you.

I’m from blue, brown, and green eyes,

from Papa Jim’s very detailed drawings or Granny Mary Jane’s competitive Uno

games.

I’m from country weddings with cowboy hats and boots

and Disney movie marathons with sisters and parents,

From the: I’m so proud of you! Or the: You and your sisters are a handful… 

I’m from watching the altar as the designated person spoke,

and the mission trips with christian sing-alongs.

I’m from blossoming feelings and music,

from White Elephant Christmas exchanges and books that take 

you to a fantasy you never knew existed.

I am from waking up to commotion or mama’s French toast drenched in syrup

(if mama was in an amazing mood), from Jumanji to Polar Express,

to every little adventure any creature or person has ever been on. 

I’m from rippling raindrops,

and from trust that leads to nowhere.

I’m from barriers that are put up to protect hearts that end up cracking and

falling down,

I am from bountiful lives to tragic deaths,

I’m from roaring cheers to goodbye group hugs.

I am from engulfing salty sea water, to trying to believe you are at the coral reefs.

I’m from fluffy clouds and faded rainbows, 

to forgotten memories that still play a part in everyday life,

I’m from baking chocolate-chip cookies with Granny Mary Jane to playing 

jump rope and almost always missing the timing. 

I am from white lilies with captivating aromas to pushing siblings off of beds;

From polite manners to roughhousing.

I’m from Georgia and peaches,

and nana’s warm chili with melted, shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top.

From the scars my dad has that are faded away across his face from past fights, or

the red blemishes that would cover Aunt Karen’s skin that made it unique.

As the pillow bursts from the pillow tournaments held, each of the delicate feathers

fall and collect into the pile of valuable memories that each make up a day contained

with love, that cause your heart to flutter with the thought of each of them.