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Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Update: Where I'm From, the meme

If you're seeing this again and again in your feed, it's cause I keep getting new additions to the list and they are worth reading. Send yours along, too!

This meme originated with Fragments from Floyd (also there, details of how to "play"). He quotes this "Where I'm From" poem by George Ella Lyons:
I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the black porch....
I think it was originally a teaching exercise. Find the whole poem here.

Here are more "Where I'm From" poems, now mostly sent my way via the fabulous Michele, some found on-line, and some written in response to my challenge!

Paula
AllThings2All
Waterfall
Connections
Colleen
Mr. Max and Boo
Ellemental
The Shoehound
True Jersey Girl
Sleeping Mommy
Sarcasmo
Texas Trifles
Ultrablog
Art on a Limb
Sea and Sky
Verbatim
Nina Turns 40
True Grit
Music and Cats
Underground Stream
Magnificent Octopus
And This Too
Older and Growing
Carrie
Quantum Tea
Knitting Cybrarian
Tech Monk
Seeking Serenity
Blogging in Paris

And, lurking in the comments section of "Blogging in Paris," you can find "Where Melinama is from". It reads like an explanation of why I converted to Judaism.

What a lovely way to learn about some blog neighbors! If you've done one, or are willing to do one now, let me know and I'll link to it.

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22 Comments:

At 4:02 PM, Blogger Zee said...

Those poems are wonderful and intoxicating. They evoke many memories, and a feeling of melancholy.

 
At 4:25 PM, Blogger Isabella K said...

Simply beautiful.

 
At 4:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Melinama, your poem is beautiful, thank you for sharing, and I think it deserves more than a small lurker's corner on my blog. You should put it on your site and send the address to Fred1st.

 
At 9:56 AM, Blogger Isabella K said...

I did it.
http://magnificentoctopus.blogspot.com/2005/02/where-im-from.html

 
At 6:22 PM, Blogger ililani said...

I was fascinated by these poems. As most of these are from the East or South of Northern America there are some common elements. I am curious to see if focus changes between regions or other parts of the world.

I also noticed that many come from teachers, which I am not. Yet I have had my horizons broadened by this exercise.

Diito: you should not hide your poem, it is lovely.

 
At 11:23 AM, Blogger Kimberly said...

Melina, I agree with Claude that your lovely poem deserves a home outside of someone else's comments.

Mine is here.

I am sending this to lots of the non-bloggers in my life; I particularly want to see what other members of my family do with it.

 
At 1:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I did one, too, although not particularly poetic:
hereIt has been so interesting to follow all the different postings. Thanks for sharing this.

 
At 1:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I found you through Kimberly, and must say, this is the most fun I've had in awhile, and with such beautiful results. Mine is up on my blog. Thanks!

 
At 4:31 PM, Blogger kenju said...

I just read your poem. The line about proper lies and nighttime secrets was tailor-made for me, though when I write my poem, I will try to word it another way.

Seems the more we are different, the more we stay the same (to rephrase an old saw).

 
At 10:58 PM, Blogger Craig said...

I wrote sort of a Where I'm From poem for a poetry workshop about twenty years ago. I called it

Summer Reverie

Aloft all afternoon,
Rapt in an ancient mulberry tree,
Fluffy white castles float
Through blue Kansas cornfield daydreams,

And the hammer cracks black walnuts
That pom-pom pullaway til dusk;
When the molting locust sings
Boys and girls run barefoot;
Empty Mason jars make lightning bug lanterns.

One of my classmates, a girl who wrote sonnets for fun, thought it was too sappy.

 
At 3:21 PM, Blogger Paula said...

I love these! I'm working on one now.

Melinama, I've added you to my blogroll.

 
At 10:11 AM, Blogger Michele said...

Good morning.
I just caame from visiting Nearest Distant Shore: http://seaandsky.typepad.com/ and I am not certain if you are aware that you inspired Terrilynn to do one of these.

 
At 12:37 AM, Blogger Michele said...

Hello,

I have spotted yet another wonderful "Where I Am From" post.

Lynda from Art on a Limb:
http://sparrownine.blogspot.com/

 
At 1:16 AM, Blogger Michele said...

Hello, Me again.

Did you get my email with the two blogs to add to you list?

Here is yet another:

http://ellemental.net/

 
At 1:54 AM, Blogger Michele said...

Bari from The Shoehound also did a lovely one:

http://www.theshoehound.com/

 
At 10:47 AM, Blogger Kimberly said...

My sister Melanie has hers up at Mr. Max and Boo.

It's also up at my place.

 
At 11:20 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't have a blog as of yet but do have an active website and have taken the Where I'm From poetry challenge(posted here http://www.silverandgold.swva.net/poetry1.htm)via Fragmentsfromfloyd.com. Fred is a virtual friend of mine and fellow Floydian. Colleen

 
At 2:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm loving the series. http://theshoehound.com/ has moved.

 
At 10:35 PM, Blogger Catez said...

Hi, I have written one:
I Am From

I've linked to you here and tracked back to. Thanks for such a great idea!

 
At 6:52 PM, Blogger Donna. W said...

This is the greatest meme I've run across; oh, the memories! http://journals.aol.com/mosie1944/MYCOUNTRYLIFE/entries/1512

 
At 8:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a middle scool student thats about to do a Where I'm From poem. And i just want to thank you for posting all theese! Because now i have a better idea of how they're sett up!

 
At 6:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so touched by this format I just did one... www.curiositykiller.com

 

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