I am from a neighborhood called City View.
I am from a neighborhood where you can see
the whole city on top of my hill.
I am from a place where you can smell
a sweet smell of flowers.
I am from a beautiful city.
I am from the taste of humidity in the air.
I am from a place where a lot of my family
grew up.
I am from my favorite place ever
I am from my grandparent’s house
Sunday roasts with carrots and potatoes
brown beans and cornbread a fixture at every meal
bottled pop—Coke, Tab, and RC Cola
drinking from glasses that came from
washing powder boxes.
I am from long summer days
mosquito bites, too many to count
pink skin from calamine lotion
a squirt of Bactine on skinned knees
waiting until 4 o’clock to turn
on the radio—hoping Mimi
would dedicate a song to me.
I am from prime time television
with my Mimi—eating popcorn
every night.
Heehaw, All in the Family, too many
sitcoms to mention
no one sits in papaw’s char
until he goes to bed—around 8 o’clock
we could stay up as long as
we didn’t laugh too loud.
You want to know where I am from?
I’ll tell you I’m from creeks and hollers
and good people. I am from dressing
up for church and Sunday dinners
with extended family and friends.
I’ll tell you I’m from Willow
Tree switches you pick out for yourself.
I come from the heart when I say I
am proud to be a coal miner’s daughter.
I’m from fresh laundry during on the
line and everyone sharing the chores.
I’ll tell you brownies, girl scouts, and
softball. I’m from mom being my
worst enemy and best friend. From
the bossy but ever loving
big sister to being the sister who looks
to two younger brothers for comfort and assurances.
You want to know where I’m from?
My answer seems an endless
journey of words and memories. I’m from
a happy childhood with an over abundance
of love from a tight knit family.
That is where I’m from.
I’m from what remains of an exploding star,
Tempered by time—
I’m from a new formed planet,
Tempered by time—
I’m from the first two humans of the human race,
Tempered by time—
I’m from many people who founded America,
Tempered by time—
I’m a new beginning born in West Virginia,
But tempered by time—
Soon I’ll be in a place where God want me—
Where there is no time.
I am from a family of five. where I came from we eat supper at the kitchen table every evening before my dad went to work in the coalmines. I am from a Mother who was a stay at home mom and she was the best.
Where I came from families stayed together and prayed together. Where I came from we could go outside and play all day with my cousins and not come in until the Dukes of Hazard came on one of the three channels that we got from an antenna at the edge of the yard.
Where I came from having fun was when we rode our four-wheelers with all of my family
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