Today you will…
→ Read and discuss “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons
→ Compose a poem
Here are some suggestions of activities to help you create your poem
- Names of important people related to this place (relatives, friends, etc.)
- Special foods or meals eaten in this place
- Traditions practiced in this place
- Favorite songs and stories
- Familiar phrases used in this place
- Ordinary items found in this place
- Important beliefs valued in this place
- Heroes of this place
- Significant events (happy and/or sad) that have happened in this place
- Images that represent this place
- Sounds that represent this place
- Smells that represent this place
Here is my version
I am from silly smiles and grudging good mornings messages
To sugary sweet hugs at night
From the woods of camping with boy scouts in a black hole
To ballet shoes and leotards with ballerinas who make bars sing.
From barks and meows
To slobbery pants and purrs.
I am from the click, clicks, clicks of my laptop computer
To the tap, tap, tapping as I text on my phone.
From hanging with friends
And staying at home.
Where I from, I exchanged wet splashes with my friends
And spent time lying on a summer beach under the stars discussing trends
From school dances and cheering at basketball games
To making midnight confessions to old flames.
Where I am from I heard “stop whining”, “do your best”
And “Are you sure that you want to wear that?”
Where I am from there are people who care
And people who I know will always be there
