Saturday, May 2, 2020

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Your "Where I'm From" Poem

It's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun! 


Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music here) is to:

1)  Write your own "Where I'm From" poem - you can see a sample format at   http://www.swva.net/fred1st/wif.htm.  But make it unique - yours!

2)  Share your poem on your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or on Facebook.  Be sure to leave a comment with a link to your poem.

Here's mine:

Randy's From Where?

I am from an all grown up small town,

My San Diego is sun, streets, beaches and canyons,
From jacaranda trees with purple flowers,
To sunburn, body surfing and sand castles.


I am from a Victorian house with no porches,
With angled walls and secret places,

I remember sliding down a rear stair bannister,
To a backyard with boysenberry and raspberry bushes.

I am from Rice Krispies, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and vermicelli,
Hamburgers and hot dogs on the backyard grill, 
Yummy doughnuts from the bakery on Saturday morning,
Running to get ice cream cones at the corner drug store.

I am from wonderful teachers at Brooklyn school, on the safety patrol,
Off to Roosevelt Junior and San Diego High for Latin, Calculus, and History,
And San Diego State for a degree in Aerospace engineering.
A career in Aerospace at Rohr and Goodrich, seeing the world.

I am from Cavemen, Aztecs, Chargers and Padres - my teams!
Football in the street, baseball in the park, basketball on the patio.
Bicycles, flexies and scooters, forts in the park, newspaper routes, 
Berry sales, Piggly Wiggly and five-and-dime stores.

I am from Seavers, Richmonds, Hildreths, Whites and Smiths,
Carringers, Spanglers, Vauxes, Aubles and Kemps,
Hard working, shrewd, fair-minded, home building, succeeding,
Laughing, learning, teaching, sharing and loving.


I am from Chula Vista, Leominster, Hilperton, South Petherton,
Concordia, McCook, Oak Grove, Sandy Lake, Aurora, 
Glocester, Killingly, Eastham, Woodbridge, Terre Haute,
New England, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Wiltshire, Somerset and California!

I am from the snake oil salesman, the blacksmith, the carder,

The house painter, the many farmers, the patriot soldiers, the mechanic,
The carpenter, the wheelwright, the shoemaker, the preacher,
And all of the dear mothers, weavers and homemakers.


I am from Episcopalians, agnostics, Quakers,
Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists and Pilgrims,
and turned into a Presbyterian.
I am a child of God.  

I am from a family of encouragers
Of triers and second place winners.
Believing in "never give up," "do your best" 
and striving for "well done, you tried hard."


I am from folks in faded and crumbling pictures,
who built and lived in sod houses, farms and salt boxes,

From fireplaces, wood stoves and straw beds with ropes,
With buckets, wells, tubs, outhouses and honey pots.

I am from sailing ships and steamships, 
Horse-drawn buggies, sleighs, and wagon trails;
Trains, buses, bicycles, trolleys and automobiles,
Airplanes, amusement parks, roller coasters and imagination.

I am from towns built in the wilderness
And a large modern city with palm trees and traffic.
From families sewn together by hardship and unfailing love
Displaying the indomitable human spirit.


If I can do it, you can do it!  It's amazing what memories and thoughts come to mind when you write about "Where I'm From."  

Please tell me yours, and please share it with your family members and friends.

                             ==============================================


Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

7 comments:

Lois Willis said...

Here's mine:
https://loiswillis.blog/2020/05/03/sunday-afternoon-genealogy-fun-your-where-im-from-poem/

HepzibethClare said...

Finally posting for the 1st time! Here's mine: https://libraryofcousins.com/2020/05/02/where-im-from-a-poetic-assignment/

Janice M. Sellers said...

Here's mine:

http://www.ancestraldiscoveries.com/2020/05/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-your-where.html

Linda Stufflebean said...

Randy, I love your poem. Mine will post tomorrow, a bit late.

Linda Stufflebean said...

Here is my very, very late mini-poem: https://emptybranchesonthefamilytree.com/2020/05/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-90/

M. Diane Rogers said...

Hi, Randy, and all, great challenge!

Here is my late poem: https://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/05/where-im-from-my-way-saturday-night.html

Amelia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.