Where I'm From

This week I wrote a poem titled "Where I'm From," inspired by George Ella Lyon. Lyon wrote a beautiful poem that perfectly depicts where she is from. Each line of her poem captivates a different element of her life story, allowing the reader to step into her shoes as they progress through the poem. After creating her poem, Lyons decided that she wanted to take this concept a step further by inviting others to share their unique stories through their own "Where I'm From" poems. She chose to partner with fellow writer Julie Landsman to create the I Am From Project to gather a plethora of diverse voices sharing their stories through their own poems.

Here I will link Lyon's website where you can learn more background information about the I Am From Project, learn what inspired her to create her "Where I'm From" poem, and listen to her sharing a reading of her poem. I enjoyed exploring these resources because I was able to learn the purpose and the power behind this movement, I would highly recommend checking it out!

After reading Lyon's poem and poems created by others, I sat down and began brainstorming what components I would want to include in my own poem. Poetry has never been something I am confident in, "what even classifies writing as poetry?" I'd say to myself. Over the past few years I have attempted writing my own poetry and I feel as though I am improving, it's always helpful finding new resources to spark new inspiration.

I am from Rural Hall, a small town outside of Winston-Salem in North Carolina. I have always been very close to my family and feel at peace when I am at my family's home. Because of these feelings I chose to write a poem that focused on the things from my home, or where I'm from, that bring me comfort. I also chose the picture you saw at the top of this post to go along with the theme of "Where I'm From." These pictures of the people I love and the different life experiences I have had hang on my wall for me to look at each day, reminding me of the love and support I always have behind me.

"Where I'm From" by Sara Harrison

I am from the heart of North Carolina.

Not quite the beach,

Not quite the mountains,

But in the middle.

Perfect.

I am from cicadas singing,

Honeysuckle and dogwoods blooming.

Soft songs and sweet smells brewing,

In the heat of the summer.

Peace.

I am from southern hospitality,

Words said with twang.

Thinking it was "warsh" instead of "wash,"

And y'all meaning everyone.

Family.

I am from family dinners,

Morning talks on the front porch.

A hot cup of coffee,

Bringing us together.

Home.

Aside from this poem I included from my writer's notebook, I also wrote a short story about Oreos. Although I agree this seems like a silly topic, and I was definitely hesitant at first, I was inspired by Amy Krouse Rosenthal's book Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal. In her book she writes different quirky stories about different scenarios she has experienced in her everyday life, so I decided to try it out. First I carefully skimmed each page in the first few sections of the book, trying to figure out how I could write similarly to Rosenthal. I really enjoyed her writing style because it seemed much more casual than traditional pieces I had seen. Her writing style seems applicable for a wider audience and as an insecure writer this is appreciated. I will include an excerpt from her book so you can see the type of story I am referring to and hopefully see if I did an okay job recreating it!

Excerpt from page 22 of Rosenthal's book.

Excerpt from page 6 of my personal writer's notebook.

The last entry I completed this week is a simple piece where the word "snow" is written repeatedly to make the shape of a snowflake. I have seen quite a few different creations like this, many much more elaborate than mine, and wanted to try creating it myself. I was not sure if this really classified as writing, and I suppose I still am not sure, but this popped into my head and I decided it was something I really wanted to create.

More information about Amy Krouse Rosenthal:

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal Website

Amy KR Foundation Website

Personal Instagram

Amy KR Foundation Instagram