I am from glass globes of roses,
from Gardenias and Gerbers.
I am from dust floating in the air,
caught in winter sun.
I am from lilacs
that can’t be contained,
whose fragrance colours early spring.
I’m from toilet paper tubes and marbles,
from King’s Daughters and Mayflowers.
I am from a pinch of salt,
pull your weight
and no one wants to hear you complain.
I am from rocky cathedrals,
midnight masses and incense.
From forbidden dances
held long into the night under Aurora Borealis.
I am from moments folded into paper,
hung down halls on sooty walls,
lingering in stories,
on pages,
in ashes
flickering away.
This poem follows George Ella Lyon’s I Am From form. She and Julie Landsman created the I Am From Project around 2018 to use the power of poetry to counteract the rise of xenophobia and division in the United States. Even though the project has concluded, use of the template is still a powerful tool for connection.
There’s various templates and writing prompts you can use to dive in if you want to give it a try. If you’ve written one of these poems, please share it with me in the comments!
Kat Dornian 