We Are From
A collective poem by the Honors 120-FR7 class, Fall 2022 Inspired by “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon & the I Am From Project
We are from rain, beautiful trees, kids running around, lakes,
Cows, horses, camels, and deer,
Cookie cutter houses, meth houses, cardboard boxes,
Cops, gun shots, and trains,
Weed, cigs, wax melts, freshly mowed grass, and Bath and Body
Works seasonal candles,
Daddy,
Bean fields and bonfires,
The basement shooting range,
Corn. I second corn more corn even more corn, corn for me too.
Yes corn. Corn indeed. Perhaps some corn how about some corn?
Tractors, 4-wheelers, hay bales, barns, hills, and gravel roads,
Big City Buildings, bright lights, green peppermints!
Late night talks,
Diversity,
Pineapple, seashells, anchors, boats, and SpongeBob.
We are from liver dumplings and sweet potatoes,
Chicken adobo and pork burgers,
Spaghetti, Pizza, Mac N Chz,
Makloba, Mansaf, Mashed potatoes,
Rice, rice cakes, rice balls, rice soup, rice paper, Jollof Rice,
Ribs, pork loin, steak ribeye,
Sweet potato pie, oatmeal creme pies, capri-sun
Fried chicken,
Deer sausage, deer stew, rabbit and duck
Stir-fry, Pad Thai, and Squirrel.
We are from phrases like: Bubba, suck it up, grow the fuck up, do better.
I’m not raising a boy, I’m raising a young lady.
Lose weight. You’re not trying hard enough.
LOL
안녕하세요 - that’s hello in Korean
Dirt don’t hurt, don’t be a bitch
You’re a disappointment. Be more like your brother.
Don’t be like your sister, be better than her,
If your friend jumped off a cliff would you follow? YES.
What are your grades? A B!! You’re grounded.
Son did you finish math homework?
говори по-русски!! - speak Russian!!
Your arm may hurt but you get off of your ass and go catch the damn pitcher, we can’t lose.
When you get rich after you graduate I better get my monthly check when I’m old.
Rub some dirt on it, stop eating, play the piano for 5 more hours.
You're all alcoholics. You’re a Jackass.
Less of that, more of not that.
Fuck off you little fuckers,
I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it.
“I not one of your little friends.”
I can’t handle a depressed child.
السلام عليكم - Hello
حبيبي - Habibi- My love
I Love You
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all
You are my sunshine, you’re a bitch
Get your ass up, read the damn book, turn your Life 360 back on now.
You become a doctor son.
Walk it off, stop the cap, sometimes who we are is the best we can be.
“Give him his sticks.”
I’m proud of you for just being you - I Love You
We are learning that discipline = wisdom = success and Mama didn’t raise no bitch.
Money doesn't equal happiness,
Nobody is gonna do it for you.
Just because you were smart in high school doesn’t mean you will be smart in college.
I don’t need straight A’s to pass. I am the disappointment already.
B’s get degrees not C’s.
No pain no gain
Learning from mistakes is the only way to improve, mistakes are what makes life = life
Be okay with being wrong.
You can get through anything with God.
Life happens when we are too busy doing everything else,
Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the mouth
Fuck it we ball.
Nowhere with this climate change.
You can’t trust the news.
Your political opinion will lose you friends (and a girlfriend!).
Love wins.
Having a few close friends is better than a bunch of mediocre friends.
Science is real, Black Lives Matter, Love is Love, Women’s rights are Human Rights, No Human is illegal, Kindness is everything.