The poems are coming in. This is so lovely with its detail and its memories.

Where I’m From

By Ava McPartland

I am from seagrass,

from coconut and vanilla.

I am from Poppies

from Barney and Bean,

the moon and the sky.

I am from long drives

in the minivan,

a car that seemed to last forever.

The music whispers

as I drift off to sleep.

I am from the basket of recipes

tucked in the cupboard

filled with stained notecards

and memories

of cinnamon rolls, candied pecans,

and grandma’s chocolate pie.

I am from weekend business trips

spent waiting–

counting the minutes,

until he returns.

I am from nail-biters

and nervous-wrecks

From overthinkers

and water signs.

I am from origins unknown,

a past lost to the tides.

I am from an ocean of memories,

a sea of lost faces–

forever resurfacing–

like a message in a bottle.