I Am From…
I am from Houston,
From what feels like the most humid, swampy climate on planet Earth.
I am from long nights under covers, secretly reading.
I am from the JCC, where I can be myself with people who are just like me.
I am from darkness, preferring to stay unseen in the shadows.
I am from long discussions with various family members about their chosen profession
I am from snowy winter vacations in Massachusetts,
With those long evenings spent with a blanket, hot coco, and The Lion King
I am from “Dahlia!”’s being yelled from all directions,
and I am from cozy nights, curled up in a ball on the ugly green futon with my family all around me.
I am from a Jewish family, and my ancestors fled Spain to keep their faith.
I am from the Haunted House, with its overgrown ivy and shrubs and grasses, with the peeling paint, and the green-tinted stone steps.
I am from roasted marshmallows, playing softball, and an uncle obsessed with the Red Sox,
and I am from “Quiz me!”’s, over and over again, finally caving and quizzing my brother in geography, and him me.
I am from long car trips and chocolate,
from Harry Potter, The Book Thief, and Lone Wolf.
I am from a big extended family,
from Argentina and Poland and Israel and Romania.
From long conversations about genealogy.
I am from being confused half the time, from cello, from music and from African hand drums
I am from an ancient legacy, from all the other Jews who came before me,
but most of all,
I am from my family.
Brava! Another emotionally gripping post! Your use of language to convey feeling is masterful! I’m your mom (and think I know you pretty well,) but feel really connected to you after reading this post. Well done!
Awww, you’re making me blush! Thanks, though.
I love this poem! Especially the part about Massachusetts and the Red Sox. 🙂 When did you start visiting Massachusetts? I wonder if you were ever there when I still lived there.
Probably around three or four months, so about June or July of 2001. It’d be pretty funny, knowing that we’d have been a couple miles apart, and not knowing we were there ^-^.
What a wonderful tribute to family and your love for yours.
My son went to college in Massachusetts. Our visits there were always soooo enjoyable: different air, different sights, different feel to everything. The trees were TREES!
I think this poem explains you in different ways but they all link to you. I like how you explained your “extended family”. At the end I also liked how you said you were from family, it made a neat ending. I can also sort of relate how you like to stay in the shadows because, I am not exactly the type of outgoing person. I really like it and I think your poem was nice.
This poems is YOU.
your words describe your being and your soul in a great way .
Sensitive,and very analitical and,understanding of the world around you.BaBa
This poems is YOU.
your words describe your being and your soul in a great way .