Sunday, April 29, 2012

where

for my world lit class, our last assignment is to write a creative imitation of a poem we've read in class. this is fun for me. this is my first draft. i'm not sure i will change anything. 

where
i am from university, cajun
from married housing, young mother.
from late-night neighbors
and pine-needle sledding.
i am from yellow water,
from dozens of cavities:
    i do remember the day 
   the bath water was clear.
i am from grandparents,
back porch basketball,
“fishing” from the deck:
from always hooking something
that could bring a giggle.
from cul-de-sac 
bikes and trampolines
   “DON’T CRACK THE EGG!”
backflips, catch
i am from calvary
from hymns and sunday school
summer weeks and winter nights
from gathering
   fellowship
prayer and potluck 
i am from metal buildings
geometry, history
i am from weekends away
teammates and dinners and medals 
from competition and skill
   “perfect practice makes perfect”
i am from long-awaited phone calls
overdue visits; wondering
from the distance of one father
from the forced(?) closeness of another
from where is he?
or, where am i?
what am i doing
i am from dark nights
long weeks
   questions
but i am also from joyful days
seasons
   answers
i am from prayers
from disciples; learned
i am from broken relationships
and restored ones
i am from tears on a pillow
laughing in the aftermath
from salvation 
i am going, 
   i can imagine
to the unknown
i am going to a house
to a life on the road
i am going back to swing sets, 
to sandboxes, slides
to people
   languages; barriers
i am going into the world
to know its inhabitants
   (there are almost 7 billion)
going to a mountain:
snow-capped, sub-zero 
going to a jungle:
infinite, miles, wet
i am going to love
to hope; to peace;
to unrest
   probably not in that order
i am going to live 

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