I am from a tire,
From Oscar Myer Weiner hotdogs,
And from raw potatoes

I am from four wheels and four doors

From dead grass, and an open sky

I am from staying up late and following footsteps,
From Vicky and an unknown father
And four known siblings

I am from let me find a man, and you can wait

From get out of my face, and Gina can do it

I am from a life without God, he doesn’t care

From Llano and Burnet, hotdogs and Cheerios

I’m from the time when a mother leaves five kids, under the age of six, unattended in an ally
And the hunger for my meal everyday
The sight of only ever seeing my mother drinking from a brown or clear glass bottle

I am from a life that changed in the blink of an eye
From home to home each coming week

From a million questions about how I feel
And the final court hearing for my new parents

And Now

I am from cake in the face at birthday parties
And be your own person
From Tommie and Larry and four crazy siblings

I’m from Llano
With rice, beans tortillas, and tacos

I am from a trampoline
From a bed
And a roof over my head

I am from the wide open space
And the next neighbor half a mile down

I’m from God sees your every move

From your better than that
And you’re beautiful so don’t let anyone tell you different

I’m from the time a women adopts five kids
And I’m given everything I need
And the day I get my own room.

I’m from memories in my brain and a thick black binder
All the information is here whether it be negative or positive
And it makes me who I am