I Am From | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. I Am From

I Am From MAG

July 29, 2008
By WriterDancerLover GOLD, Fontana, California
More by this author
WriterDancerLover GOLD, Fontana, California
15 articles 1 photo 25 comments
View profile

I am from
My green blankey and
Climbing out of my crib
From playing mermaid in the bathtub.

I am from walking my dog,
And the noise he made when I step on his tail.

I am from my sheep nightlight
And Blue’s Clues and the Berenstain Bears.
I am from spinning until
I can’t tell where I am and
Seeing the world upside-down.

I am from long days at school
And hurrying home to watch Pokémon.
From chocolate-chip cookies at
Grandma’s house.

I am from July days in the pool
And running through the sprinklers.
From my imaginary friends and
The games we used to play like
Doctor and patient and teacher and student.

I am from trips to the grocery store
And that time I fell out of the cart onto the
Sticky linoleum floor.

I am from the tap tap tap
Of my tap shoes that one week
That I decided to be a dancer.
I am from trying new things.

I am from rainy days
And board games,
Saturday cartoons and Cheerios.

I am from walks on the beach
And the sand on my feet,
And not wanting to go home after vacation.

I am from Barbies and Polly Pockets
From playing with my sister,
The other half of me.

I am from books and flashlights
And pens and paper.
From silence to screaming.

I am from tears on my pillow
And unanswered cries.
From holding your hand
And that look in your eyes.

I am from past and present
And dreams of the future.
I am from hard work and
Harder play.
And I am from writing down my thoughts
On a midsummer’s day.

© Philip J., Diamond Bar, CA

The author's comments:
Recently I was thinking a lot about the good old days when i was just a little kid. This piece is mainly about some of my favorite things about my childhood, and it truly shows how i got where i am now.
Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
Love Is Weird
By sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM
West Jordan, Utah
sHaDoWnInJa PLATINUM, West Jordan, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 3 comments
View profile
Poetry
Nothing to say
By niceenouf PLATINUM
Garfield, New Jersey
niceenouf PLATINUM, Garfield, New Jersey
26 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"As we move on, you forget, we both move on, with no regret."

View profile
Poetry
unnamed
By Mew13 SILVER
Princeton, New Jersey
Mew13 SILVER, Princeton, New Jersey
5 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surly vote for the purr.&quot;<br /> (Barbara L. Diamond)

View profile
Poetry
The World of the Present
By Lost-In-Life GOLD
Whitby, Other
Lost-In-Life GOLD, Whitby, Other
11 articles 0 photos 299 comments

Favorite Quote:
It&#039;s never to late, if it weren&#039;t for the last minute many things would never get done!

View profile
Poetry
Carry On
By BreLee SILVER
Sula, Montana
BreLee SILVER, Sula, Montana
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Poetry
Joe
By BreLee SILVER
Sula, Montana
BreLee SILVER, Sula, Montana
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 357 comments.

olympian-queen said...
on May. 27 2010 at 5:53 pm
olympian-queen, Charleston, South Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
Yesterday is history. Tommorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift that&#039;s why they call it the present.

View profile
good critisism on that ....:)
olympian-queen said...
on May. 27 2010 at 5:51 pm
olympian-queen, Charleston, South Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
Yesterday is history. Tommorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift that&#039;s why they call it the present.

View profile
someone else wrote something similar to this so i will say what i said to them.... give this purpose. you are from these things but so what? what's the point/message you are trying to get across. it could be growth, life,etc. but the reader doesn't know that unless you show (don't tell) the reader the purpose.
chartothalatte GOLD said...
on May. 18 2010 at 6:50 pm
chartothalatte GOLD, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
10 articles 1 photo 62 comments
View profile

wow. this is great, powerful stuff.

i love remembering the good old days. who doesn't?

great poem, though! 5 stars and faved.

funnythewayitis SILVER said...
on May. 14 2010 at 9:32 pm
funnythewayitis SILVER, Redmond, Washington
8 articles 0 photos 21 comments
View profile

really really good. one of my favorites. would you mind reading and commenting on mine?

 

metaphor-mouse BRONZE said...
on May. 11 2010 at 11:10 am
metaphor-mouse BRONZE, Edmonton, Other
2 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Fate determines who comes into your life; your heart determines who stays. &lt;3

View profile

oh my gosh, your words gave me SHIVERS :)

good job!

Egyptiangirl13 GOLD said...
on May. 10 2010 at 7:58 pm
Egyptiangirl13 GOLD, Kansas City, Missouri
14 articles 0 photos 498 comments

Favorite Quote:
\&quot;either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. -Benjamin Franklin<br /> <br /> \&quot;If columbus would have turned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him either.\&quot; <br /> <br /> \&quot;If music be the food of love, play on.\&quot;

View profile
Great job-very meaningful
ThatClarinetPerson SILVER said...
on Apr. 26 2010 at 7:49 pm
ThatClarinetPerson SILVER, Tequesta, Florida
8 articles 0 photos 226 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life. Don&#039;t talk to me about life.&quot;<br /> ~Marvin the Paranoid Android (from the Hitchhiker&#039;s guide to the galaxy series)<br /> Statistical analysis suggests that i am probably in tune with someone<br /> (hahahahaha! I love this cause i&#039;m never ever ever in tune &gt;o

View profile
i really, really like this. great job!
inspir3d GOLD said...
on Apr. 26 2010 at 9:47 am
inspir3d GOLD, Norcross, Georgia
11 articles 2 photos 73 comments

Favorite Quote:
We&#039;re all just looking for attention, to be discovered overnight. We&#039;re all frustrated by the popular ones that claim the limelight before they fall to pieces. So many of us are stuck under the radar--what makes me different? You decide!

View profile
i can really identify with this :) brought back a lot of childhood memories. creative layout. great job!
mandygale77 said...
on Apr. 20 2010 at 11:31 am
Awesome! I wrote one of those once...don't know if I posted it here...anyway, that was really cool!
possiblylindsey GOLD said...
on Apr. 4 2010 at 6:14 pm
possiblylindsey GOLD, Keller, Texas
12 articles 12 photos 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;see? if i liked chris drew, id end up like randy. 5 foot 1 and vegetarian. vegetarians arent men.&quot; -camden<br /> &quot;what are you grinnin&#039; at?&quot; - mr. martinez<br /> &quot;you just cant recreate stupid.&quot; - jacob

View profile
awww i thought this was really sweet =] good job, i really like this!
sobel95 SILVER said...
on Apr. 4 2010 at 4:24 pm
sobel95 SILVER, Imperial Beach, California
5 articles 0 photos 8 comments
View profile

this poem made me smile :)

keep up the good work!

Corbin McGuire said...
on Mar. 17 2010 at 5:49 pm
Corbin McGuire, La Grange, Kentucky
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
View profile
I really like this. It brought back memories.
kay1301 said...
on Mar. 15 2010 at 8:37 am
I really liked this peom!! I totally connected to my own childhood and really enjoyed the poem all togerher!
Vivallaa PLATINUM said...
on Mar. 13 2010 at 10:11 pm
Vivallaa PLATINUM, NYC, New York
44 articles 89 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
\&#039;Before you stalk and overrun, you can\&#039;t devour anyone.\&#039;

View profile
We were doing these kinds of poems in school, I submitted one of mine in my childhood in Ukraine.
afosnight BRONZE said...
on Mar. 13 2010 at 1:26 pm
afosnight BRONZE, Mantua, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.&rdquo; -unknown

View profile
this does sound alot like that one poem that won the POP poetry contest a couple years ago... but its not the same one. i actually like this poem a little better tho... :)
HappySappy SILVER said...
on Feb. 21 2010 at 8:03 pm
HappySappy SILVER, Berlin Heights, Ohio
6 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality.<br /> <br /> An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.

View profile
oh my gosh it does sarbear!! but its still VERY good and unique and is a NUANCE (hope i used that write but in case i didn't i think it was a poem that made you think about things a little diffrently)
Sarbear GOLD said...
on Feb. 21 2010 at 6:37 pm
Sarbear GOLD, Milan, Ohio
10 articles 4 photos 489 comments

Favorite Quote:
--Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you&#039;re a mile away from them and you have their shoes.<br /> --When life gives you lemons, squirt them in people&#039;s eyes.

View profile
did you submit this into a POP competition? it sounds familiar.
kressbe BRONZE said...
on Feb. 19 2010 at 7:04 pm
kressbe BRONZE, Mequon, Wisconsin
3 articles 0 photos 22 comments
View profile
nice comeback. The whole point of the I am from poem is to crack into yourself... so each of these poems will be unique and poweful in their own way. Personally, I loved the rhythm you created with your images. Good job!
pampalooga PLATINUM said...
on Feb. 19 2010 at 5:53 pm
pampalooga PLATINUM, Natick, Massachusetts
30 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;We all can&#039;t be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the sides and clap as they go by.&quot; &quot;In the end, they&#039;re just more words.&quot;

View profile
i didn't like this, LOVED it. so original and true and... it describes exactly how i feel about my childhood also. i reeeeally enjoyed reading this and it rightly deserves to be printed in the magazine. GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!! :)
LostAngel DIAMOND said...
on Feb. 19 2010 at 3:54 pm
LostAngel DIAMOND, Jersey, New Jersey
65 articles 0 photos 89 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Just live your life, if people don&#039;t like the way you are doing it then they can get out of it&quot; &quot;if you can&#039;t stand me at my worst you dont deserve me at my best&quot;

View profile
love the "I am from tears on my pillow

And unanswered cries

From holding your hand

And that look in your eyes"

Really stood out, the whole poem did