Where I’m From poem. Copy this template and fill in the blanks. (inspired by our Bloggy Boot Camp Writer’s Workshop)
I am from a homemade cabbage patch kid by a mother with good intentions. From Saturday morning cartoons, sips of Tab on hot summer days and matching Easter dresses.
I am from the horseshoe on 17th avenue south, where kids scamper through a private golf course chased by angry golfers, fingers stained with blackberries.
I am from the handful of forget-me-nots plucked from mom’s garden, “why thank you!” she winced. From nettles that sting no matter how many cattails and ferns and water you use to soothe them. I am from gentle swaying Evergreens lining the deep ravine on windy nights that put thinking girls to sleep.
I am from Friday nights at Shakey’s and long lanky bodies. From Lynn and Pete, Henderson and Bouska.
I am from jokes at the dinner table and tickling and laughter. From sisters and brothers who offer strength in numbers. From cousin Laura when school is out, to cousin Matt when school is in. I am from a place surrounded by family, but who I also call friends.
From “Oohhhhh-klahoma every night my honey lamb and I!” and “Many roads lead to Mecca!” From adults who speak in riddles to keep small children from knowing.
I am from red and black plaid jumpers and Catholic hypocrisy. A fight with Jesus before my eighth birthday.
I’m from Bohemian Rhapsody and “THIS IS A SCOTTSMAN’S HOUSE!”, mom’s homemade spaghetti and chocolate frosted cake. Filling my belly to the sound of clanking silverware and piggy grunts…a noise that means they’re watching me.
From the bottle of spilled nail polish that stained mom’s carpet and working together to cover it up, the sound of my sister giggling whenever Mom walked past because Lord knows she wasn’t good at lying.
I am from fat leather photo albums numbered and carefully ordered by a step-dad who loved me despite me. From diaries and scrapbooks and memory boxes filled with ticket stubs and friendship. From a ghetto blaster screaming “strike a pose!” and “beat it!” and fly girl dancing.
From Dad’s blue Nikes and Mom’s eye patch. From parents who loved and gave and sacrificed and raised kids who do the same. A cycle I’m happy to continue.
Now it’s your turn!
Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add your name to the link list below. Be sure to sign up with the actual post URL and not just your basic blog URL (click on the title of your post for that URL). For good comment karma try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!
The Prompts:
1.) Your crazy in laws.
2.) Where I’m From poem. Copy this template and fill in the blanks. (inspired by our Bloggy Boot Camp Writer’s Workshop)
3.) Share a family favorite childhood recipe.
4.) A time you felt wronged by a teacher.
5.) Your top ten Fall Fashion favorites.
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
Ohhh I remember shakeys!
So many wonderful memories go into what makes us all who we were then and how we are now!
I keep saying I’m going to do where I’m from… I loved yours.
This may be one of my FAVORITE writing prompts yet! I also wrote about “Where I’m From.” I have LOVED reading everyone’s own version!!! What a beautiful assignment. Thanks! And…thanks for always hosting such a GREAT link-up.
This was SO hard! Yours was a lovely tribute to your family – mine, not so much.
Easter dresses! Oh my sis and I loved our “decked” out dresses!!
I can SO hear the Oklahoma! in my head….I went to college in Tulsa. ;-)
And I so want to hear about your 8 year old argument with Jesus – future blog post??
Ooo…I too have those memory boxes with all kinds of random items….wait I still collect those….whadda mean I’m too old?? ;-)
Fun post!!
This is my favorite prompt yet! Lovely tribute to your family. I love the last line.
What a lovely post!
It’s great to continue good cycles! And, LORD knows I never could lie either. And, WOW, I want to go to that place that soothes thinking girls to sleep. I could use some!!
I really LOVE this prompt. Thank you for posting it.
A wonderful tribute. I’ve got a post about a principal. Does he count as a “teacher”? Perhaps.
Your mom made you a cabbage patch kid? Stop. I love that.
Piggy grunts? A fight with Jesus? Couldn’t love it more.
This was gorgeous. And powerful. And wonderful.
This writing prompt is THE writing prompt. It’s king.
I loved writing mine – it kind of wrote itself. Thank you for prompting me, Mama.
Love this! Thanks so much for offering this prompt today. Writing mine was really fun, and I just know I’m going to read every one of the Where I’m From entries today!
Amazing job, Kat. My favorite part is about you with blackberry-stained fingers – I can just imagine that!
And like many folks are saying, loved loved this prompt!
Very good. We were a Sizzler family. Do they have that there? And your mom wears any eye patch? I didn’t see that tidbit in any of the photos you’ve posted here. You can email me about this development. I’d like to ask followup questions.
Awesome. Loved this prompt. Best one ever!
I have been dying to do the “Where I’m From” poem and am so glad you made it a prompt. I loved yours and am looking forward to reading a ton of others!
“Where I’m From” was so much fun to write. Really looking forward to reading everyone else’s.
Wonderful. Just totally wonderful.
Love where you’re from! I picked the same prompt!
Oh, I loved your writing prompt. Maybe I should try that one too!
I wrong about being wronged by a teacher. It has a surprise ending where I think he ended up more embarrassed than I did ;)
Imagine you’re working as a cashier somewhere…what do you think could be the most embarrassing thing you might have to ring up for a former teacher? I bet mine’s the worst ;)
Wow! That prompt brought so many amazing little details of your life to your post. It was poetic and I loved it.
The prompt utterly intimidated me … but I love reading how others wrote it! An amazingly thorough glimpse into your childhood!
I would love to know the story of a fight with Jesus before your party.
This is a great prompt. I have much to do today, but I’m setting aside a big chunk of time just to read all of these “Where I’m From” stories.
This was a fantastic prompt this week! I love reading this poem you’ve written with the template as it paints so much of you from your past! Thank you :)
I love this Kat! You painted a beautiful picture of your childhood memories :)
Part way through mine, I looked at yours for a little inspiration and it ended up doubling in length. This was a wonderful post.
I love this. I tried this but just couldn’t….
Apparently, I don’t know where I am from.
I love this prompt.. I too wrote on this prompt this week.
I love this prompt, and I loved reading your entry. Such a unique way to get to know someone better and deeper, don’t you think? I linked up this week, even though I had actually done this exact writing exercise over the summer (I hope that’s not cheating??!!). It was such a fun exercise to do, and I look forward to reading where others are from (looks like this was a popular choice this week!).
Loved yours! Mine was hard to write…good, but not fun. Yours has a joy to it that I love :)
This is infused with happiness and strength. I love it!
I saw that template ages ago and have been thinking about doing it, so this was a great opportunity! Thanks for including it with the prompts.
Love your memories. This was a good (and by good I mean I laughed, I cried, I sighed) as I wrote mine.
Thank you!
This is a loving tribute..especially the end.
Hey, I messed up my link. Kept getting a message that my image was unable to be loaded. So, I tried three images and ended up with three links. Sorry!
Just beautiful, and full of the good and happy. Love the cabbage patch mention and the mom with good intentions.
This is wonderful. I don’t normally use prompts, but my friend Helen’s post was so sweet I found my way over here. Very nice.
This was one of my favorites I did about a year ago. I revamped it and refined it just for you.
I love the randomness of how you put yours together.
Love your “where I’m from” mine would be neither as nice or as poetic. What a fun and interesting insight to your childhood!!
Love this. This was one of my favorite prompts ever. I almost didn’t do it, but I’m glad I did.
I love that you poured so many details into this. So good to know more about where you are “From”. :-)
Oh, the matching Easter dresses….we had those…and Christmas dresses…and oh, the dreaded gingham ones.
I really enjoyed this prompt!
Kat? This is fabulous. Truly.
Lovely memories. “A fight with Jesus before my eighth birthday”…sounds like a good story is behind that one. Thanks for writing a food related prompt. It’s really fun to link up!
I love your writing prompts. It really makes one go back into their past and remember. Thanks
Love your poem! It was sweet and made me laugh ;)
I really liked what you did with this, Kat. It was a challenging prompt but when I look back on it I am surprised at how some things I thought would most certainly have come up —- didn’t. Thanks for making me think (and feel).
Loved this. I got a true feel for who you are and where you come from while reading. I may take this on myself. I saw this elsewhere on a friend’s blog weeks back and really enjoyed it and wanted to do it – so now maybe I will!
This is great. Sounds so loving and makes me feel really good inside.
This is so lovely. I think this has been my favorite prompt – I have so enjoyed reading everyone’s stories.
Such a vivid snapshot of your past…love.
Thank you for this prompt, it was hard to do but so fulfilling when done.
A wonderful tapestry of your origins, Mama Kat. Love it!
This writing prompt has been my fav so far =)
Been surfing around your site trying to find a comment form. You are so hilarious. That means I like you…haha so does all the commenter on this post. Got curious from Dominique’s Desk, a site that has been playing along with me on my Thursday Two Questions Meme. I will be stalking your blog for the writer’s prompts. Keep writing those letters to Ellen, I am sure one day she will definitely invite you to her show…Smiles
This was soooooo fun!! Glad I stumbled across it :) Your post has brought back so many cherished memories for me, and also has led me to discovering so many talented and creative posts which have inspired me. Thank you :)
I liked this writing prompt! It brought back some bad times, but also some good times.
WOW this prompt the Where I’m From brought childhood memories I thought I had forgotten. Thanks Mama Kat! :D
I really love the Where I’m From prompt. Thank you for suggesting it!
I absolutely love this. I have to do this one day. It is a really powerful prompt because it makes you tap into yourself and help people to get to know you and identify with you. Awesome!
I could read these “Where I’m From” posts all night. I love them, they inspire some wonderful writing.
Parents who loved and sacraficed….. I’m blessed to have that in common with you! I enjoyed this prompt very much.
That is wonderful :)