I Am From Poems

This community writing project was initiated in 2020 with a partnership between Better Together and the Community Arts Center of East Texas. It was developed out of a desire to help people stay connected during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Participants first answered a questionnaire similar to a mad libs story maker. This information was used to generate a poem. Participants could opt to post their poem to the online gallery.

Since its inception the I Am From poems have been used in a number of situations: as a classroom exercise to explore differences in personal experience, a gift for volunteers at a local agency, and even in a eulogy!

Examples

Where I’m From
by George ella lyon

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening, it tasted like beets.)

I am from fudge and eyeglasses,
from Imogene and Alafair.
I’m from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons.
from perk up and pipe down.
I’m from He restoreth my soul
with cottonball lamb
and ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.
Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures.
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments-
snapped before I budded-
leaf-fall from the family tree.

Where i’m from
by ella herrera, age 6

I am from my room,
From Disneyworld and paint.
I am from the playroom with the good couch.
It has two beanbags and a loft, the hardness of the wooden loft.
I am from the ducks in our backyard;
they come and eat out of my hands.
I’m from opening presents on Christmas and birthdays and beautiful brown skin.
From Tia Cari and Nieves
I’m from the hard workers who have tempers,
From “Ella feed the cat” and “go to bed”
I am from praying in order to tell God stuff.
I’m from Nacogdoches, Texas and strong work ethic.
From hog meat and tamales.
I’m from my crazy Aunt Cari who grew up and wasn’t so crazy anymore.
I am from all this and so much more.

Coming soon…downloadable instructions in English and Spanish as well as an online gallery of entries!