Where I’m From

I am from glowing candles on a Van de Kamps cake, from Ford and rollie pollies.
I am from the mint green duplex on the corner… 415…the cracked stucco, the stoop with no rail.
I am from the lilac bush hollowed out like a fort, the purple petals raining down like wishes falling from the sky.
I am from Christmas Eve with olive fingers and rides in the wheelbarrow,
from Averys and Ezells and Coopers and Millers.
I am from writhing tempers and status-quo keepers.  From never back down.  Explosive.
From shhh, Daddy’s sleeping! and if you step on a crack you’ll break your mother’s back.
I am from hymnals and creeds.  Hear the pennies dropping.  Listen as they fall.  All of them for Jesus, he shall have them all.

dropping…

dropping…

dropping…

dropping…

listen as they fall.  From sermons at the pulpit and cookies in the parish hall.  From Sunday school mornings: a crayola Moses in Joseph’s borrowed coat.  From wafers and red wine communion.

I’m from the pass of the Oaks.   Hills crawling with vineyards.  Almond blossoms and ocean air.

Grilled steak tasters.  Homemade vanilla ice cream licked off the paddle.

From grunion runs I could never stay awake for.  The campfire sing-alongs when I always wish I knew the words to Last Kiss.

I am from the barn’s second story.  The dust and the moths.  The boxes of old nothings.

I am from oak collage frames on the wall, faces staring out dotted with Mickey ear hats.   And heads poking out of sand graves with seaweed drapings.

From a tangle of love and anger.  From braided rainbow rugs and the plastic ride-on horse.

From innocence seeping through drafty windows, out from under the cracks.  From pigtails that gave way to Aqua Net that gave way to a baby bump way too soon.

I’m from where you came from is never as important as where you’ve come to.

9 comments

  1. Love this Darcie. I’ve seen other people write it, and wanted to start my own, but couldn’t ever quite get started. It seems way to difficult to get it sounding awesome like you have!!!

  2. You never cease to amaze me with your words, its easy to lose myself in your words, its what I think about alot but would never know how to put into words. XO

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