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Home > All Poetry > I Am From

I Am From This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

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Photo credit: Philip J., Diamond Bar, CA
Author's comments about this article:
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.
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.
This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.This piece has also been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

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This article has 108 comments. Post your own!

corruptedlullaby said...
Nov. 4 at 12:17 pm:

Woahhhhhhh! <33 I absolutely LOVED that!

 
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writer24/7/365 said...
Oct. 10 at 11:52 am:

i just love this. please read my pieces.

 
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LitKidForever said...
Oct. 10 at 10:36 am:

This is amazing. Really makes me nostalgic, thinking about the days that while, we didn't have as much freedom, things were simpler. Keep on writing!

 
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Torrie H. said...
Sep. 18 at 2:47 pm:

This is wonderful. I feel like watching some Blue's Clues right now.

 
WriterDancerLover replied...
Sep. 20 at 6:21 pm :

Haha, Blues Clues is the business!

 
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writer24/7/365 said...
Aug. 31 at 12:19 am:

this is awesome. it really gets people thinking about where they're from.

 
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Fifi said...
Aug. 7 at 4:16 pm:

That poem is wonderful. It reminds me of the onr I made in 8th grade. Enjoy reading and keep up the great work.

 
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Brittany S. said...
Aug. 5 at 2:14 pm:

This is spectacular. The way you captured the exact essence of childhood, is mesmerizing.

 
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GigglyAmber said...
Jul. 25 at 3:02 am:

You expressed the essence of your childhood.

 
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iThink said...
Jun. 1 at 9:12 pm:

I'm pretty sure that I've done something like this in my creative writing class...

 
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RachelCrowe said...
Jun. 1 at 12:44 am:

this is good. But my least favorite part which i thought was funny (in a good way) is running home to watch Pokemon :) i liked pokemon too and i just think this is a reeeealllly great poem

 
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Jasmine<3 said...
May 31 at 10:03 pm:

you are a really good writer. =] It actually reminds me of my childhood. Thanks for the memories..

 
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bookhugger14 said...
May 23 at 1:25 pm:

this poem was extremely good

 
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Hayden B. said...
May 20 at 2:35 am:

I appreciate the effort that ostensibly smelted this poem. However, I must say that I agree with S.t.S.'s comment: This poetic format/exercise is utilized in nearly every writing class across the country. Which isn't surprising: the "Where I'm From" style allows for a more 'raw' feeling, and easier emotional discourse via a sense of creative rhetoric-- but it is the farthest thing from original. Your writing could be infinitely more powerful if your style delved more into the real... (more »)

 
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Live+Laugh+love said...
May 19 at 1:11 pm:

Childhood memories are the ones we remember the most.
Nice piece. You speak to the writer, on a deeper level.
- Tara

 
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nikkibuzz21 said...
May 13 at 9:55 pm:

o we had to do an I am From poem at school too

 
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Pa S. said...
May 1 at 6:02 pm:

don't worry about what S.t.S. said. your poem is great.
very deep. you must have an amazing memory. keep them coming.

 
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Roisin G. said...
Apr. 27 at 12:37 am:

I truly admire this poem. Mainly because I can tell that it is not something you just made up out of random thought, that it is something that you have lived through, and something that you have expirienced. Nice work! :D

 
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KaylaKissesAlways said...
Apr. 26 at 10:55 pm:

I like this poem! It reminds me of so many things! It makes me laugh and smile about all the silly things that everyone goes through but not many people want to admit!

 
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Dead-eyed-Author said...
Apr. 24 at 5:29 pm:

That was a raw emotional rollercoaster! THANKS!

 
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Sami E. said...
Apr. 25 at 4:23 am:

Good, but over-done. This exercise is used in almost every writing class in the U.S.A., and nearly every teen poet has done this. However, I must say that it IS well-formatted, and entertaining, albeit repetitive.

 
54321 replied...
Nov. 4 at 4:41 pm :

I think this particular one is good because she made it her own !

 
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Ineedthesuntorise.... said...
Apr. 22 at 12:47 am:

This is an absolutely excellent poem!!! I think it is truly good-great structure, great words, great language. It makes me think about my childhood. Keep up the fantastic work!! :)
-Isabella

 
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pinkvolleyballgirl said...
Apr. 21 at 8:29 pm:

Very awesome. Keep it up:)
Wanna read another great poem?
Advance search: iLove by Katelyn H

 
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Ash-bo said...
Apr. 20 at 10:46 pm:

I can tell you work hard, and do this often, giving each piece originallity. Great imagery

 
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Nikki M. said...
Apr. 20 at 8:31 pm:

wow
really good. This is something that everyone can relate to. The roots of what we are. Kudos :)

 
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WriterDancerLover said...
Apr. 8 at 1:44 am:

Hey, CutiePie. I wouldn't be criticizing a poem if I spell "the" like "da." I'm just saying~ You get the point.

 
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CutiePie said...
Apr. 7 at 8:19 pm:

IT WAS OK. BUT I'VE DONE ONE LIKE THIS IN MY CREATIVE WRITING CLASS AND UM.......U GET DA POINT

 
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Alison K. said...
Apr. 7 at 8:04 pm:

The poem was really good! Its a poem that definitely relates to everyone, I myself was brought back to my little kid memories, from the day I dropped a watermelon down the stairs to the day I walked out of elementary school. However, word flow is key to a good poem, there were a few sticky spots for me, not that I don't need to work on it too. ;)

 
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cutiepuppy said...
Apr. 5 at 1:50 am:

I loved your poem it rocks:)

 
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dancer_95 said...
Apr. 5 at 1:15 am:

This poem was extremely well written. I can practically feel the sticky linolium floors. I encourage you to keep writing!

 
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Mena<3 said...
Apr. 3 at 1:23 pm:

this is awesome!
i related it to my own.
because its so connected with reality that you can picture yourself in that position!
good job=]
one of my favorites!

 
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mcBut3r said...
Apr. 1 at 10:39 pm:

it connected me to my own life? things that were the same, i realllly liked it! =D

 
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Snowflake382 said...
Apr. 1 at 9:37 pm:

WOW!!

 
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Katie M. said...
Apr. 1 at 9:02 pm:

I thought this was pretty good. One thing i think that needs work on it is the over all flow of the poem. It seems to stop when you are reading it. I loved the word choice. It was really nice.
Another Poet
Katie

 
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newcomposer123 said...
Mar. 28 at 2:05 pm:

this poem is really very nice

 
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<3::wish4wings::<3 said...
Mar. 17 at 1:04 pm:

this deffinately makes you smile:) its reallyc reative and amazingly good!

 
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Austin said...
Mar. 5 at 11:51 pm:

Wonderful,
reminding me of past life I had.
Heh,
I'm totally different now and it's good to look back... just to check on my sanity...

 
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Ian S. said...
Mar. 5 at 9:09 pm:

I really like this it's AWESOME!!!! you are a really talented poet and i hpe you keep on writing,congrats on getting on the teen ink mag see ya lata!

your fellow poet -Ian :p

 
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Nicole K. said...
Feb. 28 at 8:07 pm:

this reallllly reminded me of me. haha, its fantastic!!!! please check out my poem too its called somewhere away! thanxx!

 
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singingpixie said...
Feb. 19 at 10:57 pm:

Excellent
I know everyone was saying that it relates to them but its so true

 
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Shakria S. said...
Feb. 17 at 10:47 pm:

It was an amazing piece and I can't wait to read more of your work!!!

 
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flux_day said...
Feb. 13 at 4:16 pm:

I think we can all relate to more than two things in this poem.... Great job pulling my memorys from my corpse, I truely enjoy letting them linger around my head to make me smile.

 
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pfeiff_for_life11 said...
Feb. 11 at 6:09 pm:

i LOVED this!
i love how it changed from childhood to maturity.
very well written!!

 
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kaylnbella said...
Feb. 11 at 6:04 pm:

OMG! I love it!!!!
It sounds really good! I look forward to some of your other work as well!

 
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justsome1 said...
Feb. 11 at 1:00 am:

Wow!!! That is an awesome poem!! I look fwd to seeing more of your poems!

:D

 
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justavisitor said...
Feb. 10 at 3:14 pm:

nice poem. i liked the last few stanzas. they really spoke to me. :-]

 
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anna23 said...
Feb. 10 at 2:48 am:

Wow, this is a really impressive poem. I really wish I could write like this.

Great Job! :)

 
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JoUrDyn!! said...
Feb. 5 at 2:03 pm:

That was a great poem it made me think back and look at my life and how i to have unanswered cries every night

 
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Jilybeanrb said...
Feb. 4 at 3:02 am:

This made me smile :] I could relate to so many of those things-- climbing out of my crib, watching pokemon, grandma's cookies, running through sprinklers, playing pretend.. such fond memories. This poem really shows what it's like to grow up. The kind of things you learn from and remember as a kid, and as a teenager. The kind of things that we are all from :]

Wonderful job, congrats on being published.

 
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