I am the eldest and only son,
sweating away in the August sun.
From parents whom enjoyed one another’s company
a decade, before I was born.
We are generations built upon generations, upon generations.
Seeking freedom, new beginnings, new roots- from what did they come for?
From sons of old I stand alone, carrying the guidon though there be only one.
I am my ancestors.
I am Confederate by day and Yankee by night,
crossing the Mason-Dixon line to meet the school bus.
From one accent to another,
I still can’t spell i before e.
I am Kraft macaroni & cheese,
blended with chunks of mechanically separated beef, poultry, and pork-
only the finest hot dogs Food Lion had to offer with a coupon clipped that week.
I am Sunday night pepperoni & cheese, 1 can of soda (pop), and Walt Disney.
From a family of service, both God & Country I grew,
following Baden Powell & Jesus Christ I blossomed.
I chose my own adventure with Verne, Stevenson, and Cooper- but never had time for homework.
I am a graduate. From country roads, and craggy hills.
I am a partner, a husband, a friend. She was willing to follow me- anywhere.
Into the service I marched. Hearing the call my ancestors cried
both past and present.
Essayons! My new masters grunted. Let Us Try!
Castle walls became roadside bombs. Sappers in the breach.
I am a survivor- baptized by fire and born anew under armed conflict- a veteran.
I am an Alaskan now. Searching its peaks, valleys, and rivers.
From its glacial expanses I am an Arctic Phoenix.
Spreading my wings throughout the tundra.
From my being I can become,
appeased, pacified, and reforged to forgive the past.
Dreams become reality in this limitless state.
Transcendentally transcending a crib cliché,
as the midnight sun lights my path.
There is such strength here, and honesty. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes! I have figured out how to comment on your blog. The problem lay in me allowing third person cookies in Firefox! Go figure!
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I want to tell you (again) how much I enjoyed the imagery of your "I am From" poem. Catching the bus across the Mason-Dixon line -- and "into the service I marched." You show without telling. I understand that you joined the military and that you are now fighting a different kind of battle by choosing to teach in the Alaska bush. I admire your spirit, as well as your ear for repetition (ancestors) and alliteration: "Transcendentally transcending a crib cliché,/ as the midnight sun lights my path."
Thank you for posting.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your words. There are so many concrete images that resonate and create a vivid picture of you, your past, your future, and your values-a testament to what you have crafted. Additionally, there is a clear honesty that I appreciate.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Sam, thanks for serving in defense of our freedoms. It is no small sacrifice of heart and soul. Secondly, your poem is magnificent. I love your vocabulary. You send me back to the dictionary. Shakespeare would be proud! Your imagery of the Arctic Phoenix is masterful. Thank you for sharing so beautifully.
ReplyDelete