Where I'm From

Where I’m From

Perhaps I’m not from tie dyed socks or tofu burritos

Or long haired boys high in rainbow buses

Or hoppy handcrafted Extra Special Bitters

Brewed beneath the High Street Pub –

And perhaps I’m not from recycling barrels

Or downtown protests of the War in Iraq

Or sold out nights with Yo Yo Ma or Mama Mia.

And perhaps I’m not from Serene Reflection Meditation

Or midmorning tailgate martinis,

Fresh grilled Oregon King Salmon with lemon couscous salad;

I never knew paprika on home fried potatoes,

I’m not from a mint condition first edition of Catch-22 at Black Sun books,

Or Bee Kissed Lip Balm, Higher Power TropicalTrail Mix,

Or wildcrafted Elephant’s Head and Angelica Root.

No, I’m from cadmium dust, sulfur air, blasting caps,

Anodes, cathodes, ingots, bars, pallets of zinc, mountains of slag, and flues.

I’m from Rooster, Goose, Dogfoot, Fanner, Igor, Barney, and Lars;

From Dunbar, Brooks, Cyclops, Jake, Birdman, Scabby, and Speed.

I’m from Jamborees, Freeze-orees, Spelling Bees, Fish Feeds,

Prom queens, Elks queens, blue jeans, and flatulent Jeremiah Bean.

I’m from sleeping out, sneaking out, camping out, and lashing out;

Mays and McCovey, Mantle and Maris, Koufax, Drysdale, and Ford.

I’m from a silly millimeter longer,

You’ve come a long way, baby,

You can take Salem out the country but…,

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.

I’m from pot roasts, rump roasts, pork roasts,

New pants and shirts in the fall,

Baseball cleats, basketball shoes,

Golf clubs, bikes,

Christmas trees,

Gobs of gifts,

A house that was always warm.

I’m from parents who held me,

Kept me in line,

Drove me where I needed to go.