Where I’m From:
I am from fireflies in the front lawn and dark amber sunsets.
I am from woods that are far too small to be a forest,
Stardust and rotting gardens and offered epithets
Of being an “old, lonely soul” (thank you, Doris).
I am from long, winding walks and short, simple stories,
Well-loved bookshelves and blurred chalkboard memories
Eloquent academics preoccupied with mathematic civics,
I’m from desperate declarations of belonging through lyrics.
I’m from Christmas carols that taste like plastic,
Fake trees, Thanksgiving without turkey, wholehearted mimics
I’m from diyas on the sidewalk, fireworks in November,
Braided hair and sweet coconut as far back as I remember.
I’m the elusive sound of my mother’s singing (just for me)
I’m W’s shaped into V’s, my grandfather’s old CDs.
I’m from hastily scratched pencil-mark hyphens,
Suits and chudidars, difference lost in the moment
I’m from bright colors, powder and silk,
From saris and nutmeg and chai with milk
I’m from sun-kissed bare feet and warm brown skin,
Basil plants thriving in my grandmother’s garden.
I’m from fingernail-sized snails nestled in the dirt,
Wild blackberries in the backyard, thorns unearthed
By scratched, triumphant hands, clutching their prize
Just a handful between my sister and I
Yet somehow neither of us managed to mind.
I’m from the sharing of a peeled orange
Late afternoons spent with friends
Little gifts, paper cranes, colored sand
I’m from the joy in mundanity
The immigrant love for simplicity, the implicit
Permission to stay up turning pages through the night,
Flashlight clutched tight until the dawn’s amber light.
Wowww, Teja, this is such a beautiful poem. Your writing style is so eloquent and descriptive. I can tell that you put a lot of thought into this assignment. I particularly love the rhythm; the poem flows from one line to the next, and from stanza to stanza, so fluidly. This would definitely be easy to read aloud, I think. I also like your rhymes – very clever!
My favorite lines are:
“I am from long, winding walks and short, simple stories,
Well-loved bookshelves and blurred chalkboard memories.”
The rhythm works really well there, and I love the poetic imagery of “chalkboard memories.”
This is a fantastic poem! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I really enjoyed this poem Teja, and I mean it as the highest compliment when I say it is so amazingly you. It did not take much of my imagination to read this and imagine a younger version of you doing all of these things and to see how they have affected the person I have met in college.
This was really, really well done, and I cannot wait to read more of your writing in these blogs, and to see how this portion of your identity affects the “This I Believe” podcast that you will make.
I love how descriptive your writing style is. Your wording is so eloquent, and I’m impressed with your ability to rhyme without the poem becoming sing-songy. I especially love the part about picking blackberries with your sister. I can picture you two as little kids, all scratched up with dirt on your hands, all excited about the little handful of blackberries y’all managed to pick. I’m so happy that we’re in the same blog group. I can’t wait to read more of your writing.