Where I’m From..

I am from loving Germans and strong Irish.
I’m from chilly Mickey Mouse bed sheets, a bare-faced Dolly and the safety of a sucked thumb.
From the soothing lull of the rocking chair while Mom quietly sang me to sleep.
I’m from “Up, down, up, down” and “ ‘Poon, ‘Poon”
From Crayola crayons that made colorful, unwanted fireworks on the ceiling of the living room
And from spinning like helicopters on the coffee table.
From Daddy’s Little Daisy, though it didn’t last long,
From the Bernstein Bears before we would fall fast asleep
And from buttered bagels in the back of dad’s big, brown UPS truck.
I’m from late night yawns at boisterous family parties
And “Mom, she’s speaking Chinese again!”
From Grandma’s lemon cake at Easter, her sliced apples and “Ma!”

From the notes I wrote to Ms. West in kindergarten,
And the long letters I wrote to Deirdre and Aunt Kathy
So juvenile, yet so exciting.
I’m from the stories I imagined and scribbled onto paper with my number two pencils.

I’m from, “Hey little Renee, what do ya’ say?”
From the chill of Breyer’s vanilla ice cream on my tongue at first snow fall,
The sweet, pink “Sissy-Nae” juice, and tasty rainbow ice cream cakes on birthdays.
I’m from my little green tractor, my hand-me-down big wheel
I’m from the unsuccessful lemonade stand, when I fell off my bike
I’m from hunter green Suburban and red sports-Saturn.
From the side yard where we told scary ghost stories
(And from the salty tears that came after)
I’m from those same tears as I watched my best friend move away
From fun, excitement, laugher and love, to sadness
On Shepherd Lane.

It is from these scattered memories
That I continue to grow.