WHERE WE'RE FROM POEMS
These "Where I Am From" poems came from the original poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon. In these poems students created poems by using things that they see or hear in their everyday lives. They also had to create a list of physical features and details and some things they didn't like. Some of the challenges were that students had to figure out if they wanted to rhyme, and some students had trouble knowing how they were going to say things without saying too much. The main purpose of writing the "Where I'm From" poems was to show why those things made us who we are today.
--Sandra Anderson and Luezarn Cooper-Voss, Class of 2017
My Home by Sandra Anderson
I am from warm hugs and rose petal kisses and “just dream and challenge your limits.”
I am from uncle Jerry‘s spine tickling stories to Will and Haley’s jokes and big snowball fights.
I am from the hole by the hole by the front door and the lost umbrella in the back yard.
From the cabinet that stands like a soldier and dust that giggles at night
From the big tree in my front yard to the broken gate in the back.
I am from books that hold great adventure and the old flower garden down the street.
From the jungle behind the red gate that I will one day explore.
I’m from a family that loves education and only wants you to “give 100%”
From the white cat that says hello and tail waves goodbye.
Where I’m from I will never forget…
Because it has truly shaped me to be the young lady I am
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I Am From Noisy to Violent by Kiaree Allen
I am from a big town
From noisy to violent
I am from a strong heart
From the one who wouldn’t cry or give up from
I am people who care and from people who know it all’s
From listening and knowing what's best
I am from a kind hearts
From loving brother and sister
I am from hospital bed
From having pain from head to toe
I am from loving parents
From Samonya Love to Terrell Ivy
I am from learning for the best
From being the best student to being me
I am from little to big
From good times to bad times
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We All Are Different Places So Here Is My Story by Niree Bailey
I am from the big hearts
To the can’t find a heartbeat
I am from the R-Kelly lovers
To the Sicko Mob lovers
I am from the “shut up crying”
To the “or else I'm gonna give you something to cry for”
I am from the birds that sing
To the Hip-Hop and R&B that beats
I am from the tears that fall
To the laughs that crawl up the walls
I am from the soul food that will make you thick
To the Chinese food that will make you sick
I am from the “family that prays together”
To the “will stay together”
I am from the corner stores
To the gas stations
I am from the trash on the streets
To the “you better run before your shoes be gone off your feet”
I am from “that crazy man down the street is gone get you”
To the “I’m gonna tell my dad if he do”
I am from the tasty cookies from granny
To the “what is this”
I am from the family scary movie nights
To the “I can’t at night”
I am from the keeping where I’m from alive
To the “this is what I call a perfect life”
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No Pain, No Game by Malik M. Brown
Where I am from is where legends are born
Smurfs and giants, all short and tall
I am from hard work and dedication
from “no pain, no game”
I am from competition
from blood, sweat, and tears
I am from the stars
meant to shine bright wherever I go
from a follower to a leader
I make my own path
I am from the love of the game
The cuts and the bruises
the blood and the scratches
I am from band-aids and peroxide
from stitches to casts
to “someone get the first aid kit” or “someone call 911”
I am from challenges
things that make me wanna be great
from the gym to the field
and the weight room to the track
I from people destined to be apart of something
Hard work is where I’m from
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The Young Speaks Up By Tyler Carothers
I'm from where it’s dark
everybody gotta keep their eyes open
I am from where its more children on their
own than adults
I’m from hot home cooked meals
from where it’s a family
I am from where people change on you
like you didn’t grow up together
I’m from fried chicken with mom’s greens
I am from where we all are a team
I’m from where everyone has a dream
I’m from where no one speaks up
but everyone is tough
I am from complaining and fussing
where old man Willie is always in the garbage
I am from where no one listens to the grown ups
unnecessary murders and killings for nothing
I am from playing ball to dodging bullets
I’m from toughness where you have to
work for your dream
I’m from Chicago, that's where.
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Chicago Baby by Carliysia Clark
I am from trash from the front to the back.
I am from crazy people from corner to corner
asking for change.
Double Dutch in the middle of the street
while making a new beat.
Grandma’s eight baby cats making noise
for milk.
I’m from police on every block making
sure crime is stopped.
“Get your tail in this house” without any
hesitation.
I am from annoying brothers and sisters,
Fussing and protective mothers,
Strict fathers watching out for their little girls.
Grandma changing her mind about going outside.
I am from barbeques in the park for every family
holiday.
Grandma’s delicious sweet potato pies in the kitchen.
Alley cats everywhere outside.
Basketball and tennis courts for children who love to
play.
“No boys until you’re thirty.”
I am from young boys beating on buckets
for more change than they already have.
Family meetings when someone is in trouble.
Good memories that we all cherish and never forget
a day of one.
Where I am from has made me who I am today.
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Where I Am From Has Made Me Who I Am Today by Luezarn Cooper-Voss
I am from make-up, electronics, and wide tooth combs.
I am from crack heads, crazy people, and trash bags in front of my home.
I am from yelling parents telling siblings to stop fighting.
I am from turkey, lasagna, and banana pudding on Thanksgiving Day.
I am from not wanting to eat nasty dressing and people telling me that a lot of kids don’t eat every day.
I am from sunrise to sunset of people yelling and playing.
I am from a street of violence and young people dying.
I am from mothers crying at their children’s funeral.
I am from arguing and asking who took my stuff.
I am from sitting on the living room floor getting my hair braided.
I am from spoiled babies yelling until they get what they want.
I am from little girls fighting over who’s first to go in the restaurant.
I am from 2 nieces, 9 and 6 years old, being smarter than you imagine.
I am from adults playing cards and drinking wine.
I am from people who are straightforward by accident.
I am from cousins who flip and play football.
I am from cousins who cheer and run track.
I am from a mother who’s loving and caring.
I am from a father who is very protecting.
I am from a brother who is annoying.
I am from an older sister whose goal is success.
I am from a family that thinks of only the positive.
I am from a family that never thought of tearing apart.
Where I am from has made me the person I am today because I have learned that there is more to life then the negativity.
Where I am from has showed me that life is what you make it.
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I Am From A Place Full Of Adventures by Shimonique Davis
I am from the old saying “the future is in your hands” to “only you can fix this”
and the saying that never gets old “I told you so” (which people tell me that a lot)
I am from strict aunties to an over-dramatic grandmother (Boy life is hectic)
I am from my Grandmother’s peach cobbler,
my Aunt’s chicken
and Boy oh boy my Great Great Grandmother’s greens
(which are all so mouth watering, Just reveal the recipe already)
I am from bad relationships, to good relationships
I’m from crying all the time, to smiling all the time
(Happiness is better I like happiness)
I am from hopping the fence, to jumping off the stair stoop
(Boy did I hurt myself a lot)
I am from being with the guy relatives all the time, to being with the girls
( I have to be more comely)
I am from tardy passes, to uniform passes (boy do I gotta get it together)
I am very determined and now on foward to become more successful and happy in life!
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This Is Who I Am by Marquita Dixon
I am from a strong home,
I am from beautiful love songs and lots of cell phones,
I am from flat screen t.v.s in the room and a full size bed to lay on with no shoes,
I am from loud boys talking about guns and how they are going to survive in the streets
I just want to scream “God help me”
The block is so peaceful in till the guns come out,
bullets flying like a water spout,
All that goes away when mom and cousin in the kitchen making dinner plates
I am from fried chicken and Evelyn’s pie on Sundays,
I am from “girl gone,” that just what my sister says,
my grandmother would say “girl go outside in play”
I am not the type of person to go out in play, I’m the type to stay on the book all day,
If you ask me I am from a lot of things but all that I am from is the reason I’m here today.
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She’s From by Mya Erving
She’s From basketballs and gym shoes,
Wait no, water bottles and gym rooms.
It all started when my granddad went to school, education, no replacement, he kept going
even through the discrimination... kinda cool.
I’ve been raised in the city all my life,
But my Granny & Pa were from that deep down in the Delta life.
She’s from hot combs and soul food,
NO! Cousin Ray and brother blue
Uncle Frank and my Daddy too.
“Go ask your mom” or “Go ask Your dad” is the kinda life I have instead
She’s from hamburgers and rib tips too.
Barbecue grills and Sunday school,
church choirs, and Mr. James’s old Chevy makin’ noise while he was happy.
Granny cheering and clapping
to my brother and sister sing happily.
This is where I AM FROM
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I’m From Something by Brenda Farley
I am from dust,
Sneaking and wandering around you,
Like a little bug.
You hate me and you want to get rid of me,
I’m like a bad pimple.
You try to get rid of me but I’m always there,
You want me to stay away… but I won’t
As if I’ll listen to you.
I am from mud,
I get around the house and leaves stains,
Like a home wrecker.
I am irritating and very annoying
Like a big headache you have in your head,
But it just won’t go away,
You want to know why?
You want to know why I say I’m from dust and mud?
Because,
Growing up I heard people sneaking and talking
Behind my back saying that I’m just a little girl who will never grow up,
And I’m going to prove them wrong by being responsible more often.
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Life in the Ghetto by Libations Fields
I am from the ghetto
I am from a comfy couch in the living room,
A house with peeling paint in every room,
A house with an abundant amount of children,
A house where at 9 the kitchen becomes closed,
I am from a house that never sleeps.
I’m from a crate in the alley,
I am from a house that has 2 flower pots,
I am from an house that kids shoot hoops in broken flower pots,
Fixed flower pots and bushes eat trash like trash monsters,
I am from a house that has old people and nosey neighbors.
I am from the ghetto,
I am from a block where shoes are hung on lines,
I am from a block where 13 yr. olds yell out “ squad”,
I am from a block where its DUCK or get SHOT,
Little kids run around in there socks.
I am from hard living,
I am from barely making it street,
I am from a world of tattletales,
I am from kids that have no home training,
I am from an neighborhood thats always watching,
I’m from the ghetto,
I’m from a narrow side street,
I’m from a home with no curfew,
I’m from a neighborhood that has giant parties,
I am from a neighborhood where you can get picked off like a pear,
Sincerely I am from the ghetto.
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This Is Where I’m From by Chrisshawn Furdge
Where I am from made me who I am because I'm different from everyone and thats why I’m me.
I am from food cooking in the kitchen: macaroni, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.
I am from where you see pictures of my crazy family that make me laugh.
I am from the messed up grass, cats living in the bushes, also trash on the ground and no one cares.
I am from an interesting family who parties all day, drinks, and get shut down but manages to keep their heads up.
I am from where you hear chairs squeaking like people walking up the stairs.
I am from a family that plays sports: football, basketball, etc. That’s why I am great at what I do.
I am from where the security guards ask me whom I am but already know me.
I am from where my mother loves me for who I am and I love her for always being a great mother.
I am from where my little sister always irritates me but I love her.
I am from my cousin’s craziness has an effect on me.
I am not from where people put me down and make me frustrated.
I am from where my family and friends lift me up to be me and do me.
I am from “boy sit down you act like your father.”
I am from “boy you slow.”
I am from “you should be an comedian.”
I am from where my family and friends loves me for who I am, because I look up to myself as being the best I can be.
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From It All by Alexis Hanks
I am from flat screens and wide screens
With channel to channel
Off to on
I am from sunflowers
Bright and ready to be picked
I am from the beach
frozen water in winter
splashing waves in summer
I am from Lucille
The oldest in the family
I am from the lady around the corner
The one who picks up trash on the street
I am from “you bald head rat”
And “tell me something good”
From “yeah buddy” to
“must be talking about me”
I am from the love
Hidden deep down inside
I am from the best of it all
From winter, spring, summer, and fall
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I Am From the Family Matters by Jerica Johnson
I am from the one fight all fight
the wanna be grown girls walking
out at night.
I am from the mace
her don’t face her she’s nothing
but that old old trash that’s hiding
in our grass.
I am from the chocolate cakes, to the
locked behind gates.
I am from the
wash your school clothes on your
hands and put them on the fans.
I am from the beds on crates
to crying all night that mama’s
locked behind gates.
I am from
the greens, turkey, mac and cheese
cheese cakes, to the go put on your
grandma’s old cape.
I am from the go get a branch
off the tree before I go find the
thickest one I see.
I am from the K-Swiss to the
Timberlands to “you’ve been
evicted get off our land.”
I am from the dust and wind
just before mama starts to blend
I am from the dragged by the hair
getting a whooping while you’re
held by one leg up in the air.
I am from the hiding under
the chair so mama won’t
know that you are there
I am from the projects
and the big rats with
all the big dogs & cats.
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I Am From Courage, Strength, and Determination by Daurice Lee
I am from books on a bookshelf,
From The Cat in the Hat , and
Green Eggs and Ham.
I am from old football cleats,
That run on turf.
From turf to grass, and
from turf to dirt.
I am from a deflated basketball,
And the shots taken with it.
I am from skimpy trees,
Without the leaves and branches.
From small shrews and bushes,
That dance in the wind
I am from the football field
That sounds like the super bowl
When the crowd is cheering.
From the players to the coaches,
and family members too.
I am from Uncle Marvin’s silliness,
and Daryl’s annoying acts toward me.
I am from “you hear me but you’re not listening,”
and “don’t ask for something if you can’t handle it.”
I am from my mom’s homemade nachos,
filled with beef, cheese, and Doritos.
I am from Phillips Academy High School,
and the teachers that it holds.
From coaches who push you,
no matter how bad you are.
I am from courage, strength, and determination,
and high expectations and standards.
I am from a high populated city
with tall buildings.
I am from Chicago
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I Am From Rags To Riches by Tanisha Minnis
I am from where they would call someone like me “Rags To Riches” or
a superstar with a couple of glitches. Where they would even make fun
of me because I don’t have to clean the dishes.
I am from where they walk to the store in their pajamas.
And stop to play hide n’ seek, yelling “Come find us!” Or even to
race, “Boy, I’ll leave you in the dust,” But oh just trust…
I am not from nice shiny cars and living like El Debarge. Not from
taking vacations for fun and being able to complain about wanting more
fun- more to be done.
I am not from having our grass as nice and trimmed as the white man’s grass.
Not from having the flowers in the flowerpot being alive as the people that live
on the block. No
I am not from being in one of the nicest houses on the block, having expensive gadgets
lying around like dead flies in the window seal…
Or having two cars parked in front of the house.
I am not from those things but that’s where I am. I am where we have two nice shiny cars
parked in front of our house, one of the nicest houses on the block. I am where
we take vacations for fun and complain about having more done. I am where if I was
to visit where I’m from… they would make fun of me because of where I am.
I am from where we see an opportunity- And we go for it.
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I Am From Reality by Skye Minter
I am from flat screens
Radios bumping like go carts
Where the grass is cut low
The trees are naked and the gates are always opened
I am from loud music
parties on every block
cats just wondering around
gas station crowded with bums
Where if you’re not from the same gang as someone else you are considered an opp
I am from the family that say “stay in a child's place”
from cornbread and greens family dinners around the table
Sundays at grandma’s house
Where I’m from has made me who I am today
an outgoing person always
wanting to finish what I’ve started.
Complete my goals
go to college and play basketball as a successful person. I am from!
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Hood Girl by Stephanie Mitchell
I am from Chicago Illinois,
I grew up on the south side of Chicago
I am from the Englewood Area
From dirty streets and Gang Violence
I am from the smell of death
I’m from a tall building
6217 South Calumet
I am from those moments
Snaps just because
BB guns and a violent family is where I’m from
I am from know it all
I am from get it girl
and shake it to you break it
raised as a young lady
I grew up from the Ghetto
I am from the smell of soul food
fried chicken, collard greens
I am from older cousins that fight a lot
I’m from the best that could be
and from family roots and blood
oh yeah love
I am from old yearbooks
where pictures
remind me of days when I was a kid
I am from the dirt under my back porch
I am from where you get the most love
I’m the best I could be.
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I Am From Good And Bad People By Xavier Nash
I am from good neighborhoods and cut grass cut like a golf course
and very successful people
from jobs to their lives
not too violent
but very silent
I am from people who make names for themselves
and people who let others give them their names
some people are successful and some aren’t
most people are old and very nice
that is where I am from
I am from people who get together to
enjoy the finest things in life
but I am also from people who do not
enjoy the finest things in life
I am from good and bad people
where I’m from
made me who I am today
a young man trying to make something of his life
and not let football be the only thing
that I consider success in my future
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I Am Me by Brianna Parks
I am from toys on the floor,
And flat screens on every wall.
I am from black gates on every door,
And nosy neighbors who think they know it all.
I am from loose dogs and pregnant cats.
I am from grass so sharp it may cut you,
And watch your step, it’s tall enough to hide rats.
I am from where dogs are security,
Dog fights and dog bites to “OUCH” he bit me.
I am from tattle-tale old ladies.
I am from a place you see every teenager walking with a baby.
I am from candy in every cabinet; Starburst, Now and Laters, Fruit-roll ups, Fruit snacks.
I am from different color rooms; red, blue, white, brown, green, pink, black.
I am from thugs walking up and down the streets.
Talking to every girl they think they can get under the sheets.
I am from 9 dogs; 2 pits, 4 rott, 3 mixed.
I am from 5 horses; Princess, Sparkle, Angel, Blackie, and Mr. Kick
I am from mama who says “you got 2.2 seconds to get out my face before I slap you”.
And from Grandma Parks who says “see you later alligator,” to “see you in the afternoon”
I am from Grandma Melly’s house that smells like mothballs.
I am from Aunt Ann, the only candy she gives out is Halls.
I am from Auntie Weina, who gives out hurtful hugs and sloppy kisses.
And from Uncle Luke who thinks he found his new Mrs.
Where I am from made me who I am today,
Because it’s a part of who my parents are,
And I choose to grow up the same way.
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I Am From by Elijah Pickett
I am from weird city.
From a household of untold stories.
I am from a Southern hospitality
that runs in my family (SOUL FOOD SUNDAY)
I am from a childhood of wrestling men and model cars.
I am from a house with noisy radiators
that cry like newborn babies.
From a neighborhood where dead animals aren't surprising.
I am from embarrassment and coupons.
From rat tail combs and Prostyle gel.
I am from “DON'T ASK FOR NOTHING WHEN WE
GET IN THIS STORE, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.”
From a house where Christmas presents aren't seen until Christmas.
I am from a place where grandma’s cakes taste like heaven.
From a family with 4 cousins that bother me
and only me.
A household that keeps a cat.
This is where I’m from an this is how it’ll stay,
until my last day,”I Am From.”
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It’s a Story Behind Every Situation by Jealissa Presswood
I am from Cinderella
to Cinderika.
I am from a house full of women
with a bathroom full of hair and makeup on the floor.
I am from hair nets
to bobby pins.
I am from a family of 4
to a family of 3.
I am from a world that starts with dust
and ends with me.
I am from offense
to defense.
I am from a world full of missed lay-ups
and wide open jump shots.
I am from the back of my head
that sense the lies ahead of me.
I am from hip hop
to R&B.
I am from dreaming a dream
to being a dream.
I am from the saying “Either you gone be threaten or be a threat”
to “Either you gone be killed or be a killer.’
I am from the saying “Dreams come true”
to people forgetting “Nightmares are dreams too.’’
I am from having the love and passion for basketball
to never wanting to fall.
I am from kissing a warm body
to kissing a cold hard body.
I am from not believing it
to believing nothing at all.
I am from my world which is filled with unconditional love
to a world filled with fakeness all over.
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Where I Originated by Kenneth Sanders
I am from footballs and basketballs to sports equipment
I am from Wal-Mart sales to house appliances
I am from fall breaks with excessive leaves in the front yard
I am from castle churches on the corner to thanking God for another day
I am from a block filled with old people to old man Russell cutting his grass everyday
I am from a very hospitable grandmother
I am from a family that says “you’re just like your father”
To a father who says “life is a gun and the people around you is your ammunition”
I am from momma’s old fashioned pancakes to grandma’s legendary mac N cheese
I am from tradition where we go to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving and come back for a Sunday Dinner
I am from Ray Lewis’s speeches to passion for the game of football
I am from violence and death
I am from school and sports
Another men trying to get out of the war
Chicago is a war zone that’s where I’m from
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If I Was From Some Place Else by Dondre Savage
I am from loose pipes, family pictures,
and noodles that were left cold and slimy like old worms.
I am from belts that remind me of whooping,
so if these walls could talk they would be able to write you a book.
I am from brown spots on the grass
and dead birds laying there.
I am from the outside basketball courts with
dark old red blood from the fights we use to have.
I am from the block where my uncle
used to sell drugs and get money.
I am from the yells my mom used to say
like “Boy, yall cry to much. Act just like little girls.”
I am from the bloody chicken that made me sick
or the beer my uncle used to try to give me.
Where I am from made me who I am.
If I was from somewhere else I just wouldn't be me.
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What Makes Me Doesn’t Shape me by Brandi Smith
I am from “clean up and shut up”
“Eat what's in the fridge.”
Outfits that match shoes. Momma would say “you ain’t leaving my house colorful”
I am from where the walls wear our accomplishments
and cheerful family brawls.
I am from beets and toots “get out the way a car is coming through.”
Yells of “get yo’ crazy tail out the street”
Loud music from cars bumping through the streets
Feeling kids up with negativity
I am from my Mom's faith
My grandma’s beliefs
My sister’s achievements
And my brother’s history
“If you be patient good things will come”
I am from relax and chill everything will be fine
To everything not being so fine.
I am from “daddy can I have a dollar?”
To “Not today baby I gotta’ pay bills.”
I am from mama's fried chicken
From pop’s fish
I am from bar-b-ques just because of the fun
I am from tears, laughter, jokes, and pain
I am from the strong ones
I am from 8th grade teachers' doubts
and some beliefs
From Mr. Hill saying “you still have time.”
From me thinking I know I can do it.
To receiving a promotion letter to the 9th grade
Where I am from doesn't change me
It trains me for the better
And to be prepared for the worse.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Where I Am From? by Kristina Smith
I am from Mr. Jack’s and Wabash Market
Tons Of CATS and a LEAKY FAUCET
2 BRUSHES and 3 HOT COMBS
People CRYING and cold TOMBSTONES
I am from BAKED MACARONI
CHICKEN and GREENS
FAMILY gathering together
Full of laughter and screams
I am from HOLY SUNDAYS
The CHURCH down the street
All of the members
Full of meets and greets
I am from “back in the day things were different”
From ”things have changed, young kids don’t listen”
I am from 1,000 deaths on the news each day
From kids hiding in the dark, scared to come out and play
I am from Carthan, Sabrina
Stanley and Avon
I am from Earlean
Denise, Janice & John
I am from FAST FOOD
And HAIR WEAVES
My favorite two COUSINS
Frank and Steve
I am from the LOVE OF THE GAME
The Miami Heat
The Green Bay Packers
Two teams you could never beat
I am from ARGUMENTS so brutal
FAMILY TIME, so nice
I am from HOMEMADE COOKING
And of course Carthan’s favorite RICE!
I am from FAMILY, my BLOOD
I am from SYMPATHY
I am from CARING and SHARING
And most importantly LOVE
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Where I’m From by J’kyra Space
I am from McKay and the Gas Station
Where stuff pops off
People are Savages
But don’t know the cost
Chips Ahoy calling my name
The loud dryer making noise like a ghost
People yelling “Squaddd” everywhere they go
Princess and Barbie dolls for me to play
Keeping the little girl inside of me
My mother and father who taught me not to be a lame
Stand my ground and fight for what’s mine
And to dream big
Enough so that it reaches to the sky
Those Hollister bags that connect me to Cali
Grilled steaks that remind me of the Outback
Drake said it best “Good One Go”
It seems that the way life goes
People leaving left and right
Saw them that day but be gone by tonight
That is where I’m from
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Down South by Terrell Smith
I am from the burning of biscuits
to the perfect moisturizing of ham
I am from the mistakes of all
and the forgiveness and the magnanimous behavior of all
I am from the overfilled monster ready to be empty
to the grass on the ground ready to be free from leaves
I am from the smell of oak
and the livestock from the farm
I am from the off road truckers in a Toyota truck
to the homemade dirt tracks
I am from the smell of tobacco
and the arts of redneckary of country folk
I am from the burning of leaves
to the in-town Fourth of July
I am from the rumors of the old man
to the nets of Turtle Man
I am from the hunting of deer
to the filleting of fish
I am from love and care
to the outskirts of a leaf
I am from a big family tree.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Will Never Change by Maya Tarver
I am from the projects
Where you hear gunshots.
I am from the household
that knows how to get down.
I am from the cornbread
on Sundays.
I am from the dirty south
with the hood gangbangers.
I am from the crazy side that
doesn't care how we get down.
I am from peanut butter jelly
sandwiches everyday after school.
I am from the people that told me
I wouldn’t be anything.
I am from the hospital I
was born at, where all the nurses
do surgeries and shots.
I am from the eggs in the morning
that are sunny side up.
I am from the family reunions where
ladies gossip like children at
recess.
I am from follow your dreams or else
be a bum on the street.
I am from the perfect in me.
This is where I am from.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I am From a Place Called Chicago by Patsean Terrell
I am from flat screens and dvds.
I am from stray dogs named Lucky and wild cats name Garfield.
I am from the street called the Seven by the store called the Treasure.
I am from steaks and potatoes chicken and rice.
I am from the block where the police knocks on the door.
I am from pregnant cats and bloody noses.
I am from cartoons in the morning before school from
watching Family Guy and Boondocks at night before noon.
I am from where you act up you get smacked up.
I am from where you treat your mother good you get something good.
I am from pitbulls an gangbangers from robbers and drug dealers.
I am from where you look out for your brothers and sisters
I am from a house of five.
I am from a family with over 20 friends that are closer than family.
I am from a family with mostly girls.
I am from fast cars and big trucks.
I am from a place called Chicago where we speak slang and people gangbang.
I am from where you walk down the street and think it’s sweet you will get hit with reality.
I am from Chicago known as the Windy City.
I am from a place known as Chiraq.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Video Games and Family Members by Woodrow Turner
I am from video games, from Super Nintendo Mario
and Sega Genesis Sonic.
I am from a place where you have game cases
stacked like books on a shelf.
No matter where you go,
you see games in almost every room,
this, there, maybe even here.
The times I remember,
playing all on my own.
I am from good family members
to the not-so-great ones.
From my sister’s bad chocolate cakes,
to my auntie’s wonderful fried chicken.
From my granddaddy yelling
“Make The Change” like a broken robot repeating itself,
and the not-so-wonder little sister thinking she’s a boss.
From the french toast,
to the mac-and-cheese with greens is where I’m from.
From my dog Noodles
to my fish Sharkeisha.
The kids at the park enjoying themselves and having fun,
and the security guard having other kids run away.
From my favorite teachers
to friends that got my back
this has made me where I’m from.
It made me strong, smart, forgiving, athletic,
and different from others
all this has made me who I am today.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Where The Unknown Man Is From by Malik Ware
I am from crispy cooked chicken,
From the crying babies and wild children.
I am from the small kind church
(Brown, welcoming it feels like home)
I am from the uncut grass that guards my front yard.
I am from the football, basketball, and track
From the funny uncles that say “do not have kids”
to the irritating people that live down stairs,
From the trophies and medals.
I am from the book Abduction and Tyrell.
I am from alumni from Wendell Phillips HS.
I am from the rapping and dancing
to the caring mother (bright, watchful).
I am from the loving and caring friends and grandparents
From the dad who wants you to be the best you can be.
I am from the hard working brothers and sisters
to the negative thugs who sell drugs on the block.
I am from the praying, and the Christians
And I am proud that this made me.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From by Tecora Wiley
I am from a big city,
filled with beautiful people inside and out.
I am from all the animals we have had and
that we have mistakenly killed when we
were little kids.
I am from the empty kook-aid container
that nobody ever refilled, but complains
when there isn’t any.
I am from the nickname “NOTHAMAMA”
that they use to call me because I was so
chubby. Which they always seem to bring
up every time they do a flashback of the old days.
I am from the peach cobbler, baked mac & cheese,
butter bread, caramel cake, and greens that my
mom makes every holiday.
I am from somewhere positive and
a huge family tree. I am the
beautiful and talented ME!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chiraq by Jameesha Williams
I am from the crazy south Chiraq
I am from “GET DOWN!”
with gun shots most
nights.
I am from the side with gangbanger and drug dealers on the corner each night
I am from where you eat grits on weekends
I am from “NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!”
I am from boarded up houses from people that couldn't pay their rent.
I am from where they call girls thots; call enemies opps
I am from when you go out you say pop out
I am from Turn up but not to much
I am from that side where
people come
out
in their
underwear.
I am from “GO CRAZY!”
I am from stuck up people just like trees.
I am from burnt rice that
my mom seems
not to know how to
cook.
I am from soul food on Sunday that is in the air like a summer
breeze.
I am from
chicken
greens
caramel cakes
and beans.
I am from follow your dreams or stay out in the streets
I am from family reunions
where they seem to gossip like little girls at
recess.
I am from
“clean my house
or get OUT!!!!!!”
I am from where family cares and is always going to be there
no matter what,
you got me I got you.
I am from warm hugs and rose petal kisses and “just dream and challenge your limits.”
I am from uncle Jerry‘s spine tickling stories to Will and Haley’s jokes and big snowball fights.
I am from the hole by the hole by the front door and the lost umbrella in the back yard.
From the cabinet that stands like a soldier and dust that giggles at night
From the big tree in my front yard to the broken gate in the back.
I am from books that hold great adventure and the old flower garden down the street.
From the jungle behind the red gate that I will one day explore.
I’m from a family that loves education and only wants you to “give 100%”
From the white cat that says hello and tail waves goodbye.
Where I’m from I will never forget…
Because it has truly shaped me to be the young lady I am
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Noisy to Violent by Kiaree Allen
I am from a big town
From noisy to violent
I am from a strong heart
From the one who wouldn’t cry or give up from
I am people who care and from people who know it all’s
From listening and knowing what's best
I am from a kind hearts
From loving brother and sister
I am from hospital bed
From having pain from head to toe
I am from loving parents
From Samonya Love to Terrell Ivy
I am from learning for the best
From being the best student to being me
I am from little to big
From good times to bad times
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We All Are Different Places So Here Is My Story by Niree Bailey
I am from the big hearts
To the can’t find a heartbeat
I am from the R-Kelly lovers
To the Sicko Mob lovers
I am from the “shut up crying”
To the “or else I'm gonna give you something to cry for”
I am from the birds that sing
To the Hip-Hop and R&B that beats
I am from the tears that fall
To the laughs that crawl up the walls
I am from the soul food that will make you thick
To the Chinese food that will make you sick
I am from the “family that prays together”
To the “will stay together”
I am from the corner stores
To the gas stations
I am from the trash on the streets
To the “you better run before your shoes be gone off your feet”
I am from “that crazy man down the street is gone get you”
To the “I’m gonna tell my dad if he do”
I am from the tasty cookies from granny
To the “what is this”
I am from the family scary movie nights
To the “I can’t at night”
I am from the keeping where I’m from alive
To the “this is what I call a perfect life”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
No Pain, No Game by Malik M. Brown
Where I am from is where legends are born
Smurfs and giants, all short and tall
I am from hard work and dedication
from “no pain, no game”
I am from competition
from blood, sweat, and tears
I am from the stars
meant to shine bright wherever I go
from a follower to a leader
I make my own path
I am from the love of the game
The cuts and the bruises
the blood and the scratches
I am from band-aids and peroxide
from stitches to casts
to “someone get the first aid kit” or “someone call 911”
I am from challenges
things that make me wanna be great
from the gym to the field
and the weight room to the track
I from people destined to be apart of something
Hard work is where I’m from
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Young Speaks Up By Tyler Carothers
I'm from where it’s dark
everybody gotta keep their eyes open
I am from where its more children on their
own than adults
I’m from hot home cooked meals
from where it’s a family
I am from where people change on you
like you didn’t grow up together
I’m from fried chicken with mom’s greens
I am from where we all are a team
I’m from where everyone has a dream
I’m from where no one speaks up
but everyone is tough
I am from complaining and fussing
where old man Willie is always in the garbage
I am from where no one listens to the grown ups
unnecessary murders and killings for nothing
I am from playing ball to dodging bullets
I’m from toughness where you have to
work for your dream
I’m from Chicago, that's where.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chicago Baby by Carliysia Clark
I am from trash from the front to the back.
I am from crazy people from corner to corner
asking for change.
Double Dutch in the middle of the street
while making a new beat.
Grandma’s eight baby cats making noise
for milk.
I’m from police on every block making
sure crime is stopped.
“Get your tail in this house” without any
hesitation.
I am from annoying brothers and sisters,
Fussing and protective mothers,
Strict fathers watching out for their little girls.
Grandma changing her mind about going outside.
I am from barbeques in the park for every family
holiday.
Grandma’s delicious sweet potato pies in the kitchen.
Alley cats everywhere outside.
Basketball and tennis courts for children who love to
play.
“No boys until you’re thirty.”
I am from young boys beating on buckets
for more change than they already have.
Family meetings when someone is in trouble.
Good memories that we all cherish and never forget
a day of one.
Where I am from has made me who I am today.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Where I Am From Has Made Me Who I Am Today by Luezarn Cooper-Voss
I am from make-up, electronics, and wide tooth combs.
I am from crack heads, crazy people, and trash bags in front of my home.
I am from yelling parents telling siblings to stop fighting.
I am from turkey, lasagna, and banana pudding on Thanksgiving Day.
I am from not wanting to eat nasty dressing and people telling me that a lot of kids don’t eat every day.
I am from sunrise to sunset of people yelling and playing.
I am from a street of violence and young people dying.
I am from mothers crying at their children’s funeral.
I am from arguing and asking who took my stuff.
I am from sitting on the living room floor getting my hair braided.
I am from spoiled babies yelling until they get what they want.
I am from little girls fighting over who’s first to go in the restaurant.
I am from 2 nieces, 9 and 6 years old, being smarter than you imagine.
I am from adults playing cards and drinking wine.
I am from people who are straightforward by accident.
I am from cousins who flip and play football.
I am from cousins who cheer and run track.
I am from a mother who’s loving and caring.
I am from a father who is very protecting.
I am from a brother who is annoying.
I am from an older sister whose goal is success.
I am from a family that thinks of only the positive.
I am from a family that never thought of tearing apart.
Where I am from has made me the person I am today because I have learned that there is more to life then the negativity.
Where I am from has showed me that life is what you make it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From A Place Full Of Adventures by Shimonique Davis
I am from the old saying “the future is in your hands” to “only you can fix this”
and the saying that never gets old “I told you so” (which people tell me that a lot)
I am from strict aunties to an over-dramatic grandmother (Boy life is hectic)
I am from my Grandmother’s peach cobbler,
my Aunt’s chicken
and Boy oh boy my Great Great Grandmother’s greens
(which are all so mouth watering, Just reveal the recipe already)
I am from bad relationships, to good relationships
I’m from crying all the time, to smiling all the time
(Happiness is better I like happiness)
I am from hopping the fence, to jumping off the stair stoop
(Boy did I hurt myself a lot)
I am from being with the guy relatives all the time, to being with the girls
( I have to be more comely)
I am from tardy passes, to uniform passes (boy do I gotta get it together)
I am very determined and now on foward to become more successful and happy in life!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Who I Am by Marquita Dixon
I am from a strong home,
I am from beautiful love songs and lots of cell phones,
I am from flat screen t.v.s in the room and a full size bed to lay on with no shoes,
I am from loud boys talking about guns and how they are going to survive in the streets
I just want to scream “God help me”
The block is so peaceful in till the guns come out,
bullets flying like a water spout,
All that goes away when mom and cousin in the kitchen making dinner plates
I am from fried chicken and Evelyn’s pie on Sundays,
I am from “girl gone,” that just what my sister says,
my grandmother would say “girl go outside in play”
I am not the type of person to go out in play, I’m the type to stay on the book all day,
If you ask me I am from a lot of things but all that I am from is the reason I’m here today.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She’s From by Mya Erving
She’s From basketballs and gym shoes,
Wait no, water bottles and gym rooms.
It all started when my granddad went to school, education, no replacement, he kept going
even through the discrimination... kinda cool.
I’ve been raised in the city all my life,
But my Granny & Pa were from that deep down in the Delta life.
She’s from hot combs and soul food,
NO! Cousin Ray and brother blue
Uncle Frank and my Daddy too.
“Go ask your mom” or “Go ask Your dad” is the kinda life I have instead
She’s from hamburgers and rib tips too.
Barbecue grills and Sunday school,
church choirs, and Mr. James’s old Chevy makin’ noise while he was happy.
Granny cheering and clapping
to my brother and sister sing happily.
This is where I AM FROM
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I’m From Something by Brenda Farley
I am from dust,
Sneaking and wandering around you,
Like a little bug.
You hate me and you want to get rid of me,
I’m like a bad pimple.
You try to get rid of me but I’m always there,
You want me to stay away… but I won’t
As if I’ll listen to you.
I am from mud,
I get around the house and leaves stains,
Like a home wrecker.
I am irritating and very annoying
Like a big headache you have in your head,
But it just won’t go away,
You want to know why?
You want to know why I say I’m from dust and mud?
Because,
Growing up I heard people sneaking and talking
Behind my back saying that I’m just a little girl who will never grow up,
And I’m going to prove them wrong by being responsible more often.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Life in the Ghetto by Libations Fields
I am from the ghetto
I am from a comfy couch in the living room,
A house with peeling paint in every room,
A house with an abundant amount of children,
A house where at 9 the kitchen becomes closed,
I am from a house that never sleeps.
I’m from a crate in the alley,
I am from a house that has 2 flower pots,
I am from an house that kids shoot hoops in broken flower pots,
Fixed flower pots and bushes eat trash like trash monsters,
I am from a house that has old people and nosey neighbors.
I am from the ghetto,
I am from a block where shoes are hung on lines,
I am from a block where 13 yr. olds yell out “ squad”,
I am from a block where its DUCK or get SHOT,
Little kids run around in there socks.
I am from hard living,
I am from barely making it street,
I am from a world of tattletales,
I am from kids that have no home training,
I am from an neighborhood thats always watching,
I’m from the ghetto,
I’m from a narrow side street,
I’m from a home with no curfew,
I’m from a neighborhood that has giant parties,
I am from a neighborhood where you can get picked off like a pear,
Sincerely I am from the ghetto.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Where I’m From by Chrisshawn Furdge
Where I am from made me who I am because I'm different from everyone and thats why I’m me.
I am from food cooking in the kitchen: macaroni, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.
I am from where you see pictures of my crazy family that make me laugh.
I am from the messed up grass, cats living in the bushes, also trash on the ground and no one cares.
I am from an interesting family who parties all day, drinks, and get shut down but manages to keep their heads up.
I am from where you hear chairs squeaking like people walking up the stairs.
I am from a family that plays sports: football, basketball, etc. That’s why I am great at what I do.
I am from where the security guards ask me whom I am but already know me.
I am from where my mother loves me for who I am and I love her for always being a great mother.
I am from where my little sister always irritates me but I love her.
I am from my cousin’s craziness has an effect on me.
I am not from where people put me down and make me frustrated.
I am from where my family and friends lift me up to be me and do me.
I am from “boy sit down you act like your father.”
I am from “boy you slow.”
I am from “you should be an comedian.”
I am from where my family and friends loves me for who I am, because I look up to myself as being the best I can be.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From It All by Alexis Hanks
I am from flat screens and wide screens
With channel to channel
Off to on
I am from sunflowers
Bright and ready to be picked
I am from the beach
frozen water in winter
splashing waves in summer
I am from Lucille
The oldest in the family
I am from the lady around the corner
The one who picks up trash on the street
I am from “you bald head rat”
And “tell me something good”
From “yeah buddy” to
“must be talking about me”
I am from the love
Hidden deep down inside
I am from the best of it all
From winter, spring, summer, and fall
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From the Family Matters by Jerica Johnson
I am from the one fight all fight
the wanna be grown girls walking
out at night.
I am from the mace
her don’t face her she’s nothing
but that old old trash that’s hiding
in our grass.
I am from the chocolate cakes, to the
locked behind gates.
I am from the
wash your school clothes on your
hands and put them on the fans.
I am from the beds on crates
to crying all night that mama’s
locked behind gates.
I am from
the greens, turkey, mac and cheese
cheese cakes, to the go put on your
grandma’s old cape.
I am from the go get a branch
off the tree before I go find the
thickest one I see.
I am from the K-Swiss to the
Timberlands to “you’ve been
evicted get off our land.”
I am from the dust and wind
just before mama starts to blend
I am from the dragged by the hair
getting a whooping while you’re
held by one leg up in the air.
I am from the hiding under
the chair so mama won’t
know that you are there
I am from the projects
and the big rats with
all the big dogs & cats.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Courage, Strength, and Determination by Daurice Lee
I am from books on a bookshelf,
From The Cat in the Hat , and
Green Eggs and Ham.
I am from old football cleats,
That run on turf.
From turf to grass, and
from turf to dirt.
I am from a deflated basketball,
And the shots taken with it.
I am from skimpy trees,
Without the leaves and branches.
From small shrews and bushes,
That dance in the wind
I am from the football field
That sounds like the super bowl
When the crowd is cheering.
From the players to the coaches,
and family members too.
I am from Uncle Marvin’s silliness,
and Daryl’s annoying acts toward me.
I am from “you hear me but you’re not listening,”
and “don’t ask for something if you can’t handle it.”
I am from my mom’s homemade nachos,
filled with beef, cheese, and Doritos.
I am from Phillips Academy High School,
and the teachers that it holds.
From coaches who push you,
no matter how bad you are.
I am from courage, strength, and determination,
and high expectations and standards.
I am from a high populated city
with tall buildings.
I am from Chicago
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Rags To Riches by Tanisha Minnis
I am from where they would call someone like me “Rags To Riches” or
a superstar with a couple of glitches. Where they would even make fun
of me because I don’t have to clean the dishes.
I am from where they walk to the store in their pajamas.
And stop to play hide n’ seek, yelling “Come find us!” Or even to
race, “Boy, I’ll leave you in the dust,” But oh just trust…
I am not from nice shiny cars and living like El Debarge. Not from
taking vacations for fun and being able to complain about wanting more
fun- more to be done.
I am not from having our grass as nice and trimmed as the white man’s grass.
Not from having the flowers in the flowerpot being alive as the people that live
on the block. No
I am not from being in one of the nicest houses on the block, having expensive gadgets
lying around like dead flies in the window seal…
Or having two cars parked in front of the house.
I am not from those things but that’s where I am. I am where we have two nice shiny cars
parked in front of our house, one of the nicest houses on the block. I am where
we take vacations for fun and complain about having more done. I am where if I was
to visit where I’m from… they would make fun of me because of where I am.
I am from where we see an opportunity- And we go for it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Reality by Skye Minter
I am from flat screens
Radios bumping like go carts
Where the grass is cut low
The trees are naked and the gates are always opened
I am from loud music
parties on every block
cats just wondering around
gas station crowded with bums
Where if you’re not from the same gang as someone else you are considered an opp
I am from the family that say “stay in a child's place”
from cornbread and greens family dinners around the table
Sundays at grandma’s house
Where I’m from has made me who I am today
an outgoing person always
wanting to finish what I’ve started.
Complete my goals
go to college and play basketball as a successful person. I am from!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hood Girl by Stephanie Mitchell
I am from Chicago Illinois,
I grew up on the south side of Chicago
I am from the Englewood Area
From dirty streets and Gang Violence
I am from the smell of death
I’m from a tall building
6217 South Calumet
I am from those moments
Snaps just because
BB guns and a violent family is where I’m from
I am from know it all
I am from get it girl
and shake it to you break it
raised as a young lady
I grew up from the Ghetto
I am from the smell of soul food
fried chicken, collard greens
I am from older cousins that fight a lot
I’m from the best that could be
and from family roots and blood
oh yeah love
I am from old yearbooks
where pictures
remind me of days when I was a kid
I am from the dirt under my back porch
I am from where you get the most love
I’m the best I could be.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Good And Bad People By Xavier Nash
I am from good neighborhoods and cut grass cut like a golf course
and very successful people
from jobs to their lives
not too violent
but very silent
I am from people who make names for themselves
and people who let others give them their names
some people are successful and some aren’t
most people are old and very nice
that is where I am from
I am from people who get together to
enjoy the finest things in life
but I am also from people who do not
enjoy the finest things in life
I am from good and bad people
where I’m from
made me who I am today
a young man trying to make something of his life
and not let football be the only thing
that I consider success in my future
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am Me by Brianna Parks
I am from toys on the floor,
And flat screens on every wall.
I am from black gates on every door,
And nosy neighbors who think they know it all.
I am from loose dogs and pregnant cats.
I am from grass so sharp it may cut you,
And watch your step, it’s tall enough to hide rats.
I am from where dogs are security,
Dog fights and dog bites to “OUCH” he bit me.
I am from tattle-tale old ladies.
I am from a place you see every teenager walking with a baby.
I am from candy in every cabinet; Starburst, Now and Laters, Fruit-roll ups, Fruit snacks.
I am from different color rooms; red, blue, white, brown, green, pink, black.
I am from thugs walking up and down the streets.
Talking to every girl they think they can get under the sheets.
I am from 9 dogs; 2 pits, 4 rott, 3 mixed.
I am from 5 horses; Princess, Sparkle, Angel, Blackie, and Mr. Kick
I am from mama who says “you got 2.2 seconds to get out my face before I slap you”.
And from Grandma Parks who says “see you later alligator,” to “see you in the afternoon”
I am from Grandma Melly’s house that smells like mothballs.
I am from Aunt Ann, the only candy she gives out is Halls.
I am from Auntie Weina, who gives out hurtful hugs and sloppy kisses.
And from Uncle Luke who thinks he found his new Mrs.
Where I am from made me who I am today,
Because it’s a part of who my parents are,
And I choose to grow up the same way.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From by Elijah Pickett
I am from weird city.
From a household of untold stories.
I am from a Southern hospitality
that runs in my family (SOUL FOOD SUNDAY)
I am from a childhood of wrestling men and model cars.
I am from a house with noisy radiators
that cry like newborn babies.
From a neighborhood where dead animals aren't surprising.
I am from embarrassment and coupons.
From rat tail combs and Prostyle gel.
I am from “DON'T ASK FOR NOTHING WHEN WE
GET IN THIS STORE, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.”
From a house where Christmas presents aren't seen until Christmas.
I am from a place where grandma’s cakes taste like heaven.
From a family with 4 cousins that bother me
and only me.
A household that keeps a cat.
This is where I’m from an this is how it’ll stay,
until my last day,”I Am From.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It’s a Story Behind Every Situation by Jealissa Presswood
I am from Cinderella
to Cinderika.
I am from a house full of women
with a bathroom full of hair and makeup on the floor.
I am from hair nets
to bobby pins.
I am from a family of 4
to a family of 3.
I am from a world that starts with dust
and ends with me.
I am from offense
to defense.
I am from a world full of missed lay-ups
and wide open jump shots.
I am from the back of my head
that sense the lies ahead of me.
I am from hip hop
to R&B.
I am from dreaming a dream
to being a dream.
I am from the saying “Either you gone be threaten or be a threat”
to “Either you gone be killed or be a killer.’
I am from the saying “Dreams come true”
to people forgetting “Nightmares are dreams too.’’
I am from having the love and passion for basketball
to never wanting to fall.
I am from kissing a warm body
to kissing a cold hard body.
I am from not believing it
to believing nothing at all.
I am from my world which is filled with unconditional love
to a world filled with fakeness all over.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Where I Originated by Kenneth Sanders
I am from footballs and basketballs to sports equipment
I am from Wal-Mart sales to house appliances
I am from fall breaks with excessive leaves in the front yard
I am from castle churches on the corner to thanking God for another day
I am from a block filled with old people to old man Russell cutting his grass everyday
I am from a very hospitable grandmother
I am from a family that says “you’re just like your father”
To a father who says “life is a gun and the people around you is your ammunition”
I am from momma’s old fashioned pancakes to grandma’s legendary mac N cheese
I am from tradition where we go to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving and come back for a Sunday Dinner
I am from Ray Lewis’s speeches to passion for the game of football
I am from violence and death
I am from school and sports
Another men trying to get out of the war
Chicago is a war zone that’s where I’m from
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If I Was From Some Place Else by Dondre Savage
I am from loose pipes, family pictures,
and noodles that were left cold and slimy like old worms.
I am from belts that remind me of whooping,
so if these walls could talk they would be able to write you a book.
I am from brown spots on the grass
and dead birds laying there.
I am from the outside basketball courts with
dark old red blood from the fights we use to have.
I am from the block where my uncle
used to sell drugs and get money.
I am from the yells my mom used to say
like “Boy, yall cry to much. Act just like little girls.”
I am from the bloody chicken that made me sick
or the beer my uncle used to try to give me.
Where I am from made me who I am.
If I was from somewhere else I just wouldn't be me.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What Makes Me Doesn’t Shape me by Brandi Smith
I am from “clean up and shut up”
“Eat what's in the fridge.”
Outfits that match shoes. Momma would say “you ain’t leaving my house colorful”
I am from where the walls wear our accomplishments
and cheerful family brawls.
I am from beets and toots “get out the way a car is coming through.”
Yells of “get yo’ crazy tail out the street”
Loud music from cars bumping through the streets
Feeling kids up with negativity
I am from my Mom's faith
My grandma’s beliefs
My sister’s achievements
And my brother’s history
“If you be patient good things will come”
I am from relax and chill everything will be fine
To everything not being so fine.
I am from “daddy can I have a dollar?”
To “Not today baby I gotta’ pay bills.”
I am from mama's fried chicken
From pop’s fish
I am from bar-b-ques just because of the fun
I am from tears, laughter, jokes, and pain
I am from the strong ones
I am from 8th grade teachers' doubts
and some beliefs
From Mr. Hill saying “you still have time.”
From me thinking I know I can do it.
To receiving a promotion letter to the 9th grade
Where I am from doesn't change me
It trains me for the better
And to be prepared for the worse.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Where I Am From? by Kristina Smith
I am from Mr. Jack’s and Wabash Market
Tons Of CATS and a LEAKY FAUCET
2 BRUSHES and 3 HOT COMBS
People CRYING and cold TOMBSTONES
I am from BAKED MACARONI
CHICKEN and GREENS
FAMILY gathering together
Full of laughter and screams
I am from HOLY SUNDAYS
The CHURCH down the street
All of the members
Full of meets and greets
I am from “back in the day things were different”
From ”things have changed, young kids don’t listen”
I am from 1,000 deaths on the news each day
From kids hiding in the dark, scared to come out and play
I am from Carthan, Sabrina
Stanley and Avon
I am from Earlean
Denise, Janice & John
I am from FAST FOOD
And HAIR WEAVES
My favorite two COUSINS
Frank and Steve
I am from the LOVE OF THE GAME
The Miami Heat
The Green Bay Packers
Two teams you could never beat
I am from ARGUMENTS so brutal
FAMILY TIME, so nice
I am from HOMEMADE COOKING
And of course Carthan’s favorite RICE!
I am from FAMILY, my BLOOD
I am from SYMPATHY
I am from CARING and SHARING
And most importantly LOVE
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Where I’m From by J’kyra Space
I am from McKay and the Gas Station
Where stuff pops off
People are Savages
But don’t know the cost
Chips Ahoy calling my name
The loud dryer making noise like a ghost
People yelling “Squaddd” everywhere they go
Princess and Barbie dolls for me to play
Keeping the little girl inside of me
My mother and father who taught me not to be a lame
Stand my ground and fight for what’s mine
And to dream big
Enough so that it reaches to the sky
Those Hollister bags that connect me to Cali
Grilled steaks that remind me of the Outback
Drake said it best “Good One Go”
It seems that the way life goes
People leaving left and right
Saw them that day but be gone by tonight
That is where I’m from
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Down South by Terrell Smith
I am from the burning of biscuits
to the perfect moisturizing of ham
I am from the mistakes of all
and the forgiveness and the magnanimous behavior of all
I am from the overfilled monster ready to be empty
to the grass on the ground ready to be free from leaves
I am from the smell of oak
and the livestock from the farm
I am from the off road truckers in a Toyota truck
to the homemade dirt tracks
I am from the smell of tobacco
and the arts of redneckary of country folk
I am from the burning of leaves
to the in-town Fourth of July
I am from the rumors of the old man
to the nets of Turtle Man
I am from the hunting of deer
to the filleting of fish
I am from love and care
to the outskirts of a leaf
I am from a big family tree.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Will Never Change by Maya Tarver
I am from the projects
Where you hear gunshots.
I am from the household
that knows how to get down.
I am from the cornbread
on Sundays.
I am from the dirty south
with the hood gangbangers.
I am from the crazy side that
doesn't care how we get down.
I am from peanut butter jelly
sandwiches everyday after school.
I am from the people that told me
I wouldn’t be anything.
I am from the hospital I
was born at, where all the nurses
do surgeries and shots.
I am from the eggs in the morning
that are sunny side up.
I am from the family reunions where
ladies gossip like children at
recess.
I am from follow your dreams or else
be a bum on the street.
I am from the perfect in me.
This is where I am from.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I am From a Place Called Chicago by Patsean Terrell
I am from flat screens and dvds.
I am from stray dogs named Lucky and wild cats name Garfield.
I am from the street called the Seven by the store called the Treasure.
I am from steaks and potatoes chicken and rice.
I am from the block where the police knocks on the door.
I am from pregnant cats and bloody noses.
I am from cartoons in the morning before school from
watching Family Guy and Boondocks at night before noon.
I am from where you act up you get smacked up.
I am from where you treat your mother good you get something good.
I am from pitbulls an gangbangers from robbers and drug dealers.
I am from where you look out for your brothers and sisters
I am from a house of five.
I am from a family with over 20 friends that are closer than family.
I am from a family with mostly girls.
I am from fast cars and big trucks.
I am from a place called Chicago where we speak slang and people gangbang.
I am from where you walk down the street and think it’s sweet you will get hit with reality.
I am from Chicago known as the Windy City.
I am from a place known as Chiraq.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From Video Games and Family Members by Woodrow Turner
I am from video games, from Super Nintendo Mario
and Sega Genesis Sonic.
I am from a place where you have game cases
stacked like books on a shelf.
No matter where you go,
you see games in almost every room,
this, there, maybe even here.
The times I remember,
playing all on my own.
I am from good family members
to the not-so-great ones.
From my sister’s bad chocolate cakes,
to my auntie’s wonderful fried chicken.
From my granddaddy yelling
“Make The Change” like a broken robot repeating itself,
and the not-so-wonder little sister thinking she’s a boss.
From the french toast,
to the mac-and-cheese with greens is where I’m from.
From my dog Noodles
to my fish Sharkeisha.
The kids at the park enjoying themselves and having fun,
and the security guard having other kids run away.
From my favorite teachers
to friends that got my back
this has made me where I’m from.
It made me strong, smart, forgiving, athletic,
and different from others
all this has made me who I am today.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Is Where The Unknown Man Is From by Malik Ware
I am from crispy cooked chicken,
From the crying babies and wild children.
I am from the small kind church
(Brown, welcoming it feels like home)
I am from the uncut grass that guards my front yard.
I am from the football, basketball, and track
From the funny uncles that say “do not have kids”
to the irritating people that live down stairs,
From the trophies and medals.
I am from the book Abduction and Tyrell.
I am from alumni from Wendell Phillips HS.
I am from the rapping and dancing
to the caring mother (bright, watchful).
I am from the loving and caring friends and grandparents
From the dad who wants you to be the best you can be.
I am from the hard working brothers and sisters
to the negative thugs who sell drugs on the block.
I am from the praying, and the Christians
And I am proud that this made me.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I Am From by Tecora Wiley
I am from a big city,
filled with beautiful people inside and out.
I am from all the animals we have had and
that we have mistakenly killed when we
were little kids.
I am from the empty kook-aid container
that nobody ever refilled, but complains
when there isn’t any.
I am from the nickname “NOTHAMAMA”
that they use to call me because I was so
chubby. Which they always seem to bring
up every time they do a flashback of the old days.
I am from the peach cobbler, baked mac & cheese,
butter bread, caramel cake, and greens that my
mom makes every holiday.
I am from somewhere positive and
a huge family tree. I am the
beautiful and talented ME!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chiraq by Jameesha Williams
I am from the crazy south Chiraq
I am from “GET DOWN!”
with gun shots most
nights.
I am from the side with gangbanger and drug dealers on the corner each night
I am from where you eat grits on weekends
I am from “NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!”
I am from boarded up houses from people that couldn't pay their rent.
I am from where they call girls thots; call enemies opps
I am from when you go out you say pop out
I am from Turn up but not to much
I am from that side where
people come
out
in their
underwear.
I am from “GO CRAZY!”
I am from stuck up people just like trees.
I am from burnt rice that
my mom seems
not to know how to
cook.
I am from soul food on Sunday that is in the air like a summer
breeze.
I am from
chicken
greens
caramel cakes
and beans.
I am from follow your dreams or stay out in the streets
I am from family reunions
where they seem to gossip like little girls at
recess.
I am from
“clean my house
or get OUT!!!!!!”
I am from where family cares and is always going to be there
no matter what,
you got me I got you.