A poem by Leah

Where I’m From

by Leah

I am from homemade blankets
From lost Barbie shoes clogging up the vacuum cleaner
And secret agent spies.
I am from the worn souls of ballet shoes
And “MOM! COME KILL THIS BUG!”

I am from running through the sprinklers,
Bare foot in the muddy grass
From bikes and chalk littered on the driveway
The stump of an old tree
And bee hives

I am from streets lined with trees
Dancing cornfields
And friendly neighbors
I am from cicadas singing in the fall
The auburn hue of leaf piles
And the sound of shovels scraping ice off of sidewalks

I am from Primo and Don
“When I was a kid”
“WE’RE GONNA BE LATE”
And Chinese food on Christmas
I am from putting ‘secret’ sauce on every vegetable
Stains from Homemade ravioli permanently etched into clothes
And the glorious scents of Beef Strogonoff

I am from shoe boxes filled with old photos
forgotten on shelves, covered in dust
From my very own ‘Memento’ box
Piled high with artwork and prized possessions

I am from these moments
Which have shaped who I am
And taught me to appreciate life