Where I'm From

I am from the trees,
From the leaves and branches,
I am from the farm,
Where I learned my discipline.
I am from the corn field at my grandparent's house,
And the corkscrew willow,
Where my cousins and I gather firewood,
When ever we feel restless.

I am from dark hair and curious minds,
They cannot be filled with enough knowledge.
We all cause trouble sometimes,
But we always love each other.

I am from books and journals,
from writing and the written,
I am from what I have done and what I will do,
From fresh air and blue skies,
and white summer clouds,
that I could watch all day,
and wait for all night.

I am from my family,
My parents and my grandparents,
From the people that I love,
At family gatherings,
With all my family's recipes,
Potato soup and fresh bread,
I will always value them,
As the future is unpredictable.

I am from my brother and sisters,
My known and unknown cousins,
Whom I love though some I've never met.

I am from the immigration ship,
That carried my great-grandparents here,
From Nazi-occupied Germany to freedom,
To the land I now call home.

I am not only from the family album on my shelf,
But I am also from,
The family album I have not yet seen,
But will see sometime before I pass.