Where I’m From

By Sarah Walker

I am from hair ties,

from Neutrogena and Yankee Candle.
I am from “Mount Walker” in the front yard
(White, sparkling,
My dog’s favorite lookout and resting spot.)
I am from the hydrangea bush
the weeping willow,
whose branches droop sleepily across my lawn.
I’m from pies and brown eyes​,
From Virginia and Anne Marie.
I’m from stubbornness and impatience,
From “Be Safe!” and “Be Smart!”
I’m from Christmas brunch at Aunt Kathy’s with loud music and cinnamon buns.
I’m from Portland and the Mayflower,
Cheerio’s and grilled burgers.
From the farewell to the tattered “pretty yellow dress”,
The ear my sweet golden lost to cancer.
In the cabinet above the television is a stack of large photo albums,
an assortment of photos
with no organization or chronology.
I am from these random snapshots,
this assortment of valued memories,
which will always be there when I need to remember my roots.