Where I'm From

[freetobeme18]

For one of my classes, I had to write a free verse poem about "things that remind [me] of childhood", and the era and place in which I grew up, with each stanza beginning with "I am from...". I haven't written a poem of any kind since maybe 10th grade, so forgive me if it's not the most, er, poetic...but I figured I'd share so y'all could enjoy the nostalgia. For anyone who doesn't know: I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1986, so this poem is describing the 90's (mostly early-mid with a few references to the late 90's as well). Sometime in my first year my family moved to Cranston, a suburb of Providence, where I lived until I went away to college. Cranston, Rhode Island is in every possible way your stereotypical middle class American suburbia. Other than that, the poem itself will hopefully give you a good summary of 90's culture and (a certain segment of) Rhode Island culture.

Thanks much to all who attended Writing Night at the Looking Glass on Friday and contributing to brainstorming 90's references! Twas fun and helpful. ^_^ (x-posted to Facebook)

I am from stretch pants,
a different color each day of the week,
with matching scrunchies in windswept hair

I am from home-decorated Keds
slathered in paint and sequins,
and metal slap bracelets that hurt my wrists

I am from the cul-de-sac,
manicured yards and cookie-cutter houses;
children playing in the middle of the street
that cars rarely drove down

I am from the woods beyond the dead-end road,
with its brook, treehouse, and sledding hill,
where my friends and I traveled to magical lands
through the power of our imaginations

I am from the backyard:
the swimming pool, trampoline, and swingset,
collecting caterpillars every spring
for their new shoebox home

I am from the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls,
Nickelodeon and Saturday Morning Cartoons,
hand-animated Disney musicals

I am from four seasons, about equal in length:
Spring bicycle-riding and flower-picking,
Summer camps and trips to the beaches,
Fall hayrides and Halloween costumes,
Winter snowmen and hot cocoa to warm frozen toes

I am from craft kits,
board games,
Furbies,
Beanie Babies,
Nano Pets

I am from Fridays at the mall,
Saturdays at the drive-in movies,
Sundays on Thayer Street

I am from classic car shows,
Dance and acting and saxophone lessons,
Chinese takeout and egg salad sandwiches

I am from technological innovation:
pagers, cell phones, video games, America Online.
I cowered in fear that
technology would take over the world
(and in a few year's time, my fear would come true)

I am from paradox:
not quite the city or the country,
neither fully a child nor a teenager,
New England weather that can't make up its mind,
somewhere frozen in time
and moving faster than wildfire