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Posts Tagged ‘Where I’m From poem’

National Poetry Month Day 6: Where I Live

Posted in Poetry, Writing, tagged , , , , on April 6, 2025| 6 Comments »

Today’s #VerseLove prompt is from Stacey Joy. She brought back once again the faithful form Where I’m From, originally from George Ella Lyon. Like Stacey, I’ve written many iterations of this poem over the years. A recent one that I actually liked, I posted here.

Today I used one of Stacey’s alternate suggestions to try, “I live” as a repeated phrase. Again, my results came out kind of corny. I always feel when I try to rhyme that it sounds corny and forced. I’m sharing anyway.

New Iberia, Louisiana April 6, 2025

I live where heat and humidity full bloom around noon.

I live under a canopy of cypress trees
with knees that will full stop a mower’s blade.

I live near bayou brown
watching for wood ducks
coming round.

I live with spiders, roaches, mosquitoes, and gnats.
I’ve learned to let-them-be or smash-them-flat.

I live among neighbors who know me,
who offer mint leaves for tea.

I live in a red state with hearts of blue.
What about you?

Margaret Simon, draft

The Kidlit Progressive Poem is with Buffy today.

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#NPM20 Where I’m From #verselove

Posted in Poetry, tagged , on April 15, 2020| 8 Comments »

Today is my prompt day at Ethical ELA. Please stop by and write an analogy acrostic.

On Sunday, Stefani Boutelier prompted on Ethical ELA a “Where I’m From” poem like the ever popular George Ella Lyon poem. I’ve done this exercise many times over the years and have never been happy with my results. The poem seems over-sentimental. I went ahead and tried again. This time, I’m happier with the poem and even shared it aloud with my sister, brother, and our parents on Easter morning over our FaceTime.

Photo by Steve Johnson from Pexels

Where I’m From

I am from piano keys and pot roast,
From Charles’ Chips in a can.
I am from the pine forests of Mississippi,
Beechcrest Drive and Purple Creek,
pink azaleas line the red brick house
while a concrete “waterfall” waits
at the edge of the woods.

I am from writing notes,
tucking them into your locker
between classes.
From shade of a sycamore–
broad-leafed Daddy’s pride.

I’m from singing carols around the grand,
a gallery of books climbing high as the ceiling.
From Liles and Gibson trees,
arms of Margaret and Eugene.

I’m from church on Sundays.
From hurricanes and a Pearl River flood.
From pot-liquor
with turnip greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread.

I’m from war stories, Anglican prayers, and theology
over the dinner table set with woven mats,
pottery, and cotton napkins.

I’m from home movies, reel to reel,
stored in tins
that playback Love within.

(c) Margaret Simon

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Where We’re From

Posted in Poetry Friday, tagged , , on October 2, 2015| 9 Comments »

Poetry Friday round-up with Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.

Poetry Friday round-up with Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.

The beginning of the school year is becoming the middle of the school year. Days are passing quickly. October is already here. The promises of classroom connections are coming to life.

In order to welcome classroom connections, we created a Where I’m From poem modeled after the popular poem form by George Ella Lyon. Last week my students each wrote their own poems. This week we created a collaborative poem. I put it all together in an Animoto video.

https://animoto.com/play/c08FbbDL4Oiqv1yE34sA0A

If you are blogging with your elementary class using Kidblogs, you can connect to us here. Next week we will start blogging about Fish in a Tree, this year’s Global Read Aloud. We can’t wait! And Lynda Mullaly Hunt has promised a video a week. Read all about this event here.

Where are you from?

Where are you from?

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