FAMILY DYNAMICS

[mynewplace]

My yahoo poetry group provided this prompt last Friday and I have very much enjoyed filling in the blanks and learning about myself.

Thus I am posting it here, and inviting each of you to give it a shot. You certainly don't have to be a writer or poet to complete this meme! It's a lot of fun, so give it a shot and maybe even post the results on your own journal. Or just share them here in comments.

"If you don't know where you're from, you'll have a hard time saying where you're going." Wendell Berry

There are many quotes in the literary world implying we need to understand our roots in order to recognize our place in the world. George Ella Lyons wrote a poem entitled, Where I’m From (you can read the poem here: http://www.carts. org/staff_ poem2.html). A template to prod your own poetic license follows.

 

“Where I'm From”

 

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.

I am from the _______ (home description. .. adjective, adjective, sensory detail).

I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)

I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).

I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).

From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).

I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.

I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).

From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).

I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

WHERE I’M FROM

I am from suburbia,
     from the Public Broadcasting System,
          from Zoom and Masterpiece Theater on Saturday afternoon. 
I am from Mattel
     fried Treet sandwiches 
         and Vienna sausages in a can.
I am from the split-level era
the shag carpet generation;
from the avocado appliances,
the harvest gold and Downy.

I am from green beans and tomatoes
     grown in the back yard,
         the tulips and coxcombs in the flower bed, 
     from a shade tree to climb
and a hill for running down when we heard "Green Light!"

I am from Sunday dinner at Munner and PawPaw’s, 
     singin’ in the choir,
         from Sissy Mary
              Lemons and Cranks and Kappels,
              from Ireland and Scotland and Germany 
                   and don't you forget it!

I am from the mediocre work ethic
and the habit of divorce;
from the stubborn refusal to let go of an aunt
     just because your uncle let go of her. 
           From the family of
          "Forgetting the new husband's name for the first three years", 
                the family of "I like YOUR mother best."

I am from “boys tease you if they like you”
while those same boys secretly threw rocks.
From "You mustn't say dirty words"
and learning the word "fuck" from daddy.

I am from washed in the blood.
     From speaking in tongues 
                and
     not believing in tongues,
from God damn it,
     oh Sweet Jesus
            and 
     Precious Lord.

I'm from New Jersey
and West Virginia
and Kentucky
and Ohio,
from fried chicken
and mashed potatoes
and sweet tea.

I'm from waiting up all night for Santa
and getting Grandma Bill instead,
     who lost half of two fingers to a fan
     but still played a mean boogie woogie on the piano. 
          And from her second husband Lee 
          who played guitar at church,
          then fell out of fellowship and tried to dry marijuana in the oven.

I am from spiral bound photo albums
     with satin print covers,
        from treasure boxes
          and genealogy trees, 
             from diaries and priceless old Bibles,
                 leather bound and full of names, 
                    dates of birth and sermon notes. 

I am from widely disparate family units.
I am many people
inside one very confused child
who became one psychoanalyzed grown up.

Comments

[ar-wahan.livejournal.com]

That was wonderful! Thanks for sharing that. Some of our descriptions could be the same.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see what you come up with!

[padiwack.livejournal.com]

I don't see how anyone could do better than that- it's terrific!

[ar-wahan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not even going to try... :P

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie. I just wish more folks would try. It doesn't have to be POETRY per se.

[el-jefe59.livejournal.com]

This is very cool! I am working on mine. Not sure how long it will take.....

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

YAY! Sometimes it's hard to come up with something, but once you get started it begins to rush at you.

[el-jefe59.livejournal.com]

It took most of the day, since I was doing it at work, but I posted it on my journal.

[reallyamermaid.livejournal.com]

I love what you've done with it. I just posted my own version if you'd like to look. Thanks for this one.

[retro-rider55.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, hon; you should be published. The Muse does bite me once in a while; I'll give this one a poke.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

Please do, and I hope we get to see it!

[retro-rider55.livejournal.com]

The template won't select - no copying, 's' gonna take a while copying this out long-hand, mmm, typed, rather.

Where I'm From

[dreamlaughter.livejournal.com]

I love your poem! It's so rich. And your daughter's too.

It's awesome to me where this little poem has gone, handed around the world like sourdough starter. It says a lot for the power of poetry and the power of teachers.

If you go to my website, you'll find suggestions for further writing from your WIF poem. You can also hear me read the poem and find out about school appearances, in case your school hosts visiting authors. I also have a book called WHERE I'M FROM, WHERE POEMS COME FROM that's full of similar exercises.

All best wishes,

George Ella Lyon

Re: Where I'm From

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

I cannot begin to tell you how floored and honored I am that you've come here. (You have a live journal! I'm so excited!) I'd love to know how you found me, but most of all I'd love to say thank you for your wonderful writing. It's given me a boost because I like to write in plain language too. My daughter and I listened to you read your poem Friday when she worked on hers. Your site is so well put together. I will of course mention to her teacher that you are available, wouldn't she be thrilled to have you there having already read her poem! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by. I'm overwhelmed.