Poetry in Motion - Selfie

Written in the style of George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From"

(Written as a model for student poetry)

Selfie

I am from white bread, leavened and unleavened.

From Campbell's tomato soup and Kraft cheese slices.

I am from the neighborhood cul-de-sac

and the backyard sandbox,

shaded, gritty

surrounded by poison sumac and ivy.

I am from the weeping willow

the apple orchard

where we climbed and gathered fruit

to can for the coming winter.

I am from baseball games and creative brains.

From brown moles and sunburns.

From Isadore and Edna.

I am from a family of readers and salted watermelon eaters.

From "You are beautiful," and "Yes, you can!"

I am from hot pastrami on rye and mayonnaise.

From Boney Maroney and Ting-tang-walla-walla-bing-bang.

I am from the District of Columbia, our nation's Capitol.

America, land of the free.

I am from the Mayflower and Ellis Island.

From EVERYTHING....sits on a Ritz

and a kid'll eat the middle of an oreo cookie.

I am from the sweet and savory.

From my grandma, Mary, who snored like a freight train.

And from the muscle of Spike who was named for a boxer.

I am from photo collages

and family albums

destroyed by Hurricane Andrew.

Moldy bromide, fading memories -

proof that life was real.

Now, I am from digital selfies that eat up gigabytes.