Ten-Finger Exercises

where I'm from

Last week's poetry newsletter by Red Writing Hood <3 featured a template for a poem called Where I'm From, originally written by George Ella Lyons in ....

One the the examples she showed was an excellent one by kizzy72 , and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with you. "Where I'm From" 

I decided to try my hand at it, and found it very fun to do, even though kizzy's is much better.


I am from rows of home-canned peaches, tomatoes and green beans, put up on shelves in the cellar, the cool damp smell of earth floor with a row of boards to walk on.

I am from Fiesta ware, from setting the table with the cobalt blue plate for the person I liked best that day; and Ivory soap that floats and is 99 and 44 one hundredths percent pure, and was especially good when bathing in the lake.

I am from skate keys, and cookies after school in my grandmother’s house that once was a bank, on the intersection of the two main streets in town, where we lived for five years, crowded into the back bedrooms.

I am from the rented house with the key in the milk box, and a widow lady next door I could stay with if Mother forgot to leave the key out. I am from red linoleum floors that look like bricks, in three different houses where I grew up.

I am from the crocuses we all watched for, to come up through the snow; from the stand of bamboo growing by the lake that made good fishing poles.

I am from hunting for wild apples for pies and persimmons for pudding, and for wild bittersweet to decorate the table. I am from use-it-up, wear-it-out; from Stant and Lenore, from Hazel and Harold, from Betty and Jack.

I am from enveloping hugs, and dollar bills for my birthday. From “sit up straight” and “pretty is as pretty does.”

I am from going to church on Sundays, wearing white gloves or singing in the choir.

I'm from Indianapolis, and a long line of Hoosiers; from Mom’s chicken and dumplings and Mother’s old staple, tuna salad.

I'm from the mother whose family called her the “general manager” and made her cry, and whose uncle told her he’d accidentally put his foot in the cream pie on the floor of the car on the way to the picnic.

I’m from my grandmother Nana who liked to sew and made the inside of the garment look as good as the outside, and my other grandmother, Mom, who barely got the dress hemmed in time to wear it. I'm from the grandfather who made a party on the card table with Vernor's ginger ale and canned shoestring potatoes. I'm from the grandfather who read me the Sunday funnies, every single one whether I liked them or not.

I’m from a father who taught me that everything from snakes to cabbages were beautiful in their own way, and who always said, "It never hurts to try," a man who was always a gentlemen, and curious and kind.

I am from library books, camping out, and high school marching band. I'm from long car trips to Michigan, or Florida, or Wyoming. I'm from sneakers and trench coats, but also from Broadway plays and matinee length pearls with the "little black dress." I'm from sorority girls and grits, and y'all come back now, ya hear."

I am from the Twelfth of Never, the Peppermint Twist, and Baby Let Your Hair Hang Down.

I am from a wooden salad bowl of family pictures that sits on the hearth, and books at Christmas inscribed, “To Ann, with love, from Mother and Daddy.” I am from ticking clocks and polished silver, linen napkins and kitchen aprons, sheets hung out on the line to dry, cookbooks and etiquette books. I’m from honest people and honest things.


Here's the template. Give it a try.

Template:

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).