Where I Am From
How to create a "Where I Am From" poem
This style of poem is a great way to not just learn about people, but also what they value most in their lives.
I would recommend this as an activity for youth, as an icebreaker, or for other groups that would like to know more about each other. I did this activity with other educators when I was working as a teacher in low-income neighborhoods, and it was very enlightening and meaningful to look so deeply into the people I work with every day and to see what has made them who they are today. While there were certainly many differences between us all in our backgrounds and beliefs, there were also a lot of similarities that we shared that brought us together to work in the same place and do the same work.
To create your own "Where I Am From" poem, start each section with "I am from" and then follow it with a few lines of each topic/category:
- Sights/sounds/smells
- Food
- Music
- Phrases/quotes
- Ancestry
There are no guidelines for how long the poem should be. There is a lot of room for creativity here. Give everyone plenty of time to craft their poem.
Once everyone has completed their poem, ask for volunteers to share their poems, and encourage everyone to read what they have written if they like.
Enjoy this activity!
Where I Am From
I am from
poppy fields and vibrant vineyards
buzzing tractors, barking pups
all the good shows you never see anymore
free tennis balls that the rich people leave on the courts
my mother attacking rattlesnakes with a shovel
the feel of my father's kisses on my forehead
yelling first, laughing later
I am from
TV dinners with the brownies
pots and pans full of love and hard, burnt edges
runs through McDonald's
never-ending cracker stash
grease that never bothered me
homemade homemade pies
I am from
country twang out of a knee-high speakers
old and new Christmas tunes year-round
different stuff out of my brother's room every year, every phase
old-people sayings that I'll never understand
I am from
"you can do anything you set your mind to"
"don't let school get in the way of your education"
"i'm sorry, I can't help"
"why are your eyes like that?"
"i love you more than anything in the world"
I am from
a family tree cut down for lumber
holidays where I don't belong
histories I blend in with too much
a family that I would never trade
I'm not sure exactly where I'm from
but I know exactly where I am going.
