Where I Come From

I am from stories
From Berenstain Bears and Little Critter
I am from imagination and play
From avoiding the sharks in the pool
And naming myself royalty
I am from playing in a mud pit
Covered in bug bites, swallowed by an oversized t-shirt

I am from biscuits and gravy
From the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky
I am my mother's voice and my father's eyes
From Down in the Valley and You are my Sunshine
I am from singing and dancing in front of the camera
And playing crocodile in the living room, trying not to get snagged
I am from home movies and annual family portraits

I am from coloring in a pew
From ringing brightly colored bells and
Standing on stage dressed like a donkey
I am from slicked back ballerina buns
From lost jazz shoes and attempted flexibility
I am from not reaching the pedals and the
Never ending scoot up to the piano

I am from bright lights and opening lines
From in-depth monologues and moments of blank
I'm from Henry Higgins house and the haunted hotel on the corner
From Wounded Knee and the excursion out West
I'm from ugly costumes and unplanned bursts of laughter
From wearing stage makeup in public
And resentment towards the final curtain close

Threads of stories weave in and out of who I am
An expanding quilt of life, legacy, and love
Begun by my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles
Now continued through my hard work and persistence
Working to find myself, using past patterns to create new ones
Keeping memories in mind but ever moving forward
I am from stories