Tinker Toys and Legos,
Fashion Plates and Barbie.
I am from four-eyes and brace face,
bad haircuts and big eyeglasses.
I scribbled and drew,
danced and made music.
Single child,
nurtured by parents and educators,
I dreamed big dreams about what I would be.
State Fairs and band camps,
ball games and concerts;
bleachers and classrooms,
football fields and stages -
these are the places that shaped who I am.
Perfectionist and pouty,
moody and meticulous -
some things never change.
Hard-working and driven,
addicted to knowledge -
some things never change.
I am a product of myself.
Today's poem is based on a prompt shared with me by my dear friend Meg. It is a response to a wonderful poem by George Ella Lyon called "Where I'm From." Thanks for sharing that with me, Meg!
Day 9
5 comments:
I can sense a lot of thought went into this verse. As I read it, I envisioned your photo and the last few years of reading your blog, and it so fits you. Well done! ~karen
Karen - Thank you. For some reason I decided to focus on my k-12 school years. Even though that feels sooo long ago, they really were very formative years of my life.
I love this exercise. The last line is really a nice way to end.
I did it a few years back (here's the link if you're interested.)
Ha! You did a great job! I just love what that prompt brings out of people. It helped round out what I know of you...though I know there is plenty more ; )
James - I see this is a rather popular exercise. I read your version, which is really very nice. The result gives a good idea of where the writer really comes from, how they became who they are. I see from your link that an actual template has been put out there for this, which I might follow at some point, but I'm kind of glad that I went my own way with this one. Thanks for sharing your story.
Meg - I'm soooo glad you shared this with me. It was good fun and a great trip down memory lane. I think all writers should do this exercise every year (maybe on their birthday?!) and see how the resulting work changes over time. Food for thought...
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