"Where I'm From"
After the service at church this morning I went to a workshop on writing a "Where I'm From" poem. Here is the original, by the Poet Laureate of Kentucky, George Ella Lyon. The Worship Associates have all written them; there's a sort of rubric, like a Mad Lib, but they tell me that it comes out different each time. You don't have to focus on your childhood. I was interested in this because the Worship Associates have been introducing themselves by reading their poems in the service, and they are all sort of anodyne. I wanted to see if you could write one about an unhappy childhood.
Here's the rubric:
The “Where I’m From” Template
I am from (specific ordinary item)___________________________,
from (two product names)________________________ and________________________.
I am from the _____________________________________________________________ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the ___________________________________________(plant, flower, natural item),
the ___________________________________________________(plant, flower, natural detail).
I am from _______________________________________________________(family tradition)
and _______________________________________________________________(family trait),
from _________________(name of family member) and ______________(another family name)
and ______________________(family name).
I am from the ______________________________________ (description of family tendency) and _____________________________________________________________ (another one).
From __________________________________________ (something you were told as a child) and _________________________________________________________________ (another).
I am from ____________________________________________________________________.
(representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.
I'm from ____________________________ (place of birth and family ancestry), from
___________________ and ____________________ (two food items representing your family).
From the ________________________________________________________________ (specific family story about a specific person and detail),
the_____________________________________________________________________
(another detail about another family member).
I am from _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.(location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).
Adapted from George Ella Lyons’s poem “Where I’m From” UUCA/McEmrys/Thompson/Ullius, rev May 24. 2016
But really, you are supposed to write it in a group, because it is as much about revealing yourself to others as about writing poetry. I'll show you mine in the next entry.
Go ahead and show me yours!
Here's the rubric:
The “Where I’m From” Template
I am from (specific ordinary item)___________________________,
from (two product names)________________________ and________________________.
I am from the _____________________________________________________________ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the ___________________________________________(plant, flower, natural item),
the ___________________________________________________(plant, flower, natural detail).
I am from _______________________________________________________(family tradition)
and _______________________________________________________________(family trait),
from _________________(name of family member) and ______________(another family name)
and ______________________(family name).
I am from the ______________________________________ (description of family tendency) and _____________________________________________________________ (another one).
From __________________________________________ (something you were told as a child) and _________________________________________________________________ (another).
I am from ____________________________________________________________________.
(representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.
I'm from ____________________________ (place of birth and family ancestry), from
___________________ and ____________________ (two food items representing your family).
From the ________________________________________________________________ (specific family story about a specific person and detail),
the_____________________________________________________________________
(another detail about another family member).
I am from _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.(location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).
Adapted from George Ella Lyons’s poem “Where I’m From” UUCA/McEmrys/Thompson/Ullius, rev May 24. 2016
But really, you are supposed to write it in a group, because it is as much about revealing yourself to others as about writing poetry. I'll show you mine in the next entry.
Go ahead and show me yours!