I am from…

I am from lovers and losers,

From teetotalers and boozers.

I am from tobacco gum and hog slop

Odorous and sticky

Will never come off.

I am from bluegrass and gospel.

Sweet Jesus.

Those tunes sing on in my mindless thoughts

The flashbacks grip me

I am from preachers and farmers

From nurses and healers

I am from readers and riders and

Servers and tithers

Halleujah! Amen

Goddammit, where you been?

I’m from good intentions and broken promises

From bad intentions and broken memories

Holding down, wrenching away

Things that go bump in the night

And in the day

War heroes then and now.

And the beat goes on.

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I am from…

I am from biscuits and butter

From sweet milk and heavy cream

I am from red clay and sandy soil

Back roads in black dark

Spooky and thrilling

I am from crape myrtle,

Hydrangeas and zinnias

The summer smells and rainbows

Of memories in my mind.

I’m from singers and dancers

From boogies to cloggers

I’m from storytellers

And story makers

And from story readers.

I am from cooks and gardeners

Of beans and berries, figs and okra.

Where a woman’s place is in the home

And the women are strong

And homes live on.

~Dottye Currin