Where I Am From

I am from bobby pins, from Pantene and Herbal Essences.

I am from the brown brick bungalow, sturdy, comfortable and full of music, like a bird-filled tree in the Summer.

I am from the rose of Sharon bush and the crab apple tree, whose apples we used to pick and sell on the sidewalk to neighbours passing by.

I am from sing-alongs and blue eyes,
from Andrina and John and Mitchell.

I am from the keeper of many pets and the lover of the outdoors.

From "Don't be so dramatic"  and "Come back home when the street lights turn on".

I am from the Lord's Prayer and being able to recite it every week on my own.

I'm from Ontario and Scottish/Maltese ancestry, pastizzi and fish and chips.

From the time my Granny spotted a bomb hanging between her house and her neighbours', the fear she had as she ran to tell her parents and the billowy hair of my Grandda that is as white as fresh fallen snow.

I am from the large family hutch that held our family's mementoes, family pictures, wedding photos and old video reels and displayed part of our family's story.

I am from my childhood memories.