I am From...

I am from a place
A most interesting place
On the Southside of town
SWATS
Ben Hill
College Park
And a few places in between.

I am from a time when we were afraid to walk the streets.
Terrified that “the man” was gonna get us
That the man was gonna reach out from wherever he stood
And snatch us
And kill us all.

I am from a family shattered and fractured like shards of broken glass
Broken, smashed, busted into too many pieces to count
A family so dysfunctional that God shakes His head
And looks over at Jesus and wonders aloud,
Could they every put this thing back together again?

I am from string wrapped and wound tight into balls
String woven together with shiny hooked needles into something warm and soft…
I am from string crocheted into something to cherish…
Blended into something that will last forever
Gifts that lasts a lifetime.

I am from wet ink
That flows from a pen that careens freely across this page
Freeing words that have been closed up in my heart for far too long
Words that spill freely from my heart
When allowed to break free, that is.

That’s where I’m from…


From Women of Color Writers Workshop, June 2012.

5 minute writing prompt: Write a story or poem that begins with the phrase “I am from”

I liked this one. It allowed me to write about things I love and things that have bothered me.