Where I'm From

Where I’m From

by Lisa Ikegami

 

I am from parsley and piggyback.

from “Man Alive” and the gladiolas 

when I picked the colors.

 

I’m from the place underneath the tinseled fir tree,

before the presents.

I’m from frozen feet squeaking in glitter-snow.

and from the crackling fire that burned blue.

 

I am from sweet lamb, sour cheese and olive oil.

I’m from YiaYia’s grapevine-covered picnic bench.

From shining black shoes and white lace tights

From golden domes echoing in Greek and pungent incense 

as thick as my soul.

 

I’m from inside my Dad’s old cigar box

scuffed by a rainbow of unwrapped crayons.

I am from Pink foam rollers.

From plastic yellow hula skirts, 

and sparkling rhinestone crowns.

 

I’m from hot pastrami and “All in the Family”.

From Tangerine life-savers

on the Greyhound Bus.

From anisette

and the clinking glasses in cupboard

During the tornado

 

I am from white-hot sand and sharp seashells, 

mouthfuls of salt water.

From olive-red sea-grape leaves shining like sun mirrors,

when every seagull had a name.

 

I had a spy club under a boat on the beach

where we kept all our secrets.

I felt the rain needling into my skin

when I raced home in a boat in a storm.

 

I am from faith, and hope, and boundless love,

somehow more than enough 

for just one lifetime.

~~~~

As I was working on an autobiographical picture book recently, I was reminded of this poem that I wrote last last year after hearing an amazing podcast on NPR. In the podcast, they read some of the submissions that were sent in as a response to the "Where I'm From" poetry phenomenon: writing poems about memories of home.

You can listen to this wonderful podcast here:  https://www.npr.org/2019/08/28/754698275/where-i-m-from-a-crowdsourced-poem-that-collects-your-memories-of-home

I've been lax about blogging, and haven't shared much here about my work for the past several years with writing and illustrating children's literature. However, I hope to start sharing more about this either here or on my website, ikegamiart.com The "Where I'm From" above touches on some themes from the picture book, (titled I'M GOING TO TONY'S HOUSE!), especially the first stanza. I hope to have the book out in the world someday, but in the meantime, I thought it was an appropriate time to share my little poem!

If you're so inspired to write one after listening to the podcast and the wonderful poet featured there, please share!