In my last post, I wrote about the art of not being perfect.
It’s not uncommon to look back on our youth as we examine our lives. In George Ella Lyon’s Instagram Live interview with Shelton, George Ella said that is what most people do. She indicated that her poem could be written not only from the past but also from the present.
She went on to say that even if you struggle to find your voice, you can use the template of her poem to write about why it’s nobody’s business “where you’re from.”
So I accepted the challenge. Instead of focusing on the past, when I explored the present me in Where I’m From, I was reminded of my daily affirmations and meditations to stay in the present, decrease stress, and set myself up for future well-being.
Unlike my previous post of Where I’m From, I used the template to examine my life now.
The ultimate lesson with the poem is to find your voice and express your feelings and experiences. And what better way to explore our voice and help us articulate who we are and what we represent than a delightful poem?
Where I’m From (Now)
I am from one egg, one sperm, a moment of heated passion,
From Vitamix and Mason & Hamlin,
I am from briny lake waters, clay soil, and verdant green pastures of monoculture—the state of Kentucky in these United States of America, where freedom is marketed as the greatest thing since sliced bread but is masked by the cloak of patriarchy.
I am from the fungus that live beneath the surface of the soil, (earthy, spongey, slightly savory).
I’m from cheeseburgers on the grill during the Fourth of July, standing during the seventh inning stretch at baseball games, and kneeling during football games.
From Sylvia A. Earle, Greta Thunberg, Michelle Obama, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
I’m from #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, Google, and Meta.
From don’t sweat the small stuff, to it’s not rocket science, to the days are long but the years are short.
I’m from immigration, genocide, and slavery, political division and correctness, deforestation, and plastic pollution—a country of one percenter’s and then the rest of us.
Under the grass and limestone headstones etched with dates and names, telling others of our existence while our bodies decompose, and our souls go who knows where.
I am from this second—
Gone in a nanosecond—
Savoring the delicate moments of humanity.
On her website, you can find more about George Ella Lyon, her poem, and how to incorporate the poetry Where I’m From in your life or classroom.
Stay curious. Stay safe. Make an Impact.
