Where I'm From

WHERE I'M FROM

I'm from the smell of chlorine

and the heat of sun-baked cement by the pool.

I'm from cherry tomatoes eaten warm off the plant

and zinnias, marigolds, and petunias.

I'm from goatheads and hailstones,

blizzards and dust storms.

I'm from "Punkin' " and "Sugar Plum"

and "You are my special angel."

I'm from Lawrence Welk and Glenn Miller,

Ed Sullivan and Johnny Cash.

I'm from Lubbers Lounge Lu Lu,

Thanksgiving ham, and broiled spareribs.

I'm from wide horizons

and big skies,

I'm from a small town

and narrow opportunities.

I've traveled far.

I've kept it all inside my heart.

Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010