I Am From

As part of training today, each of us wrote a poem. The prompt was simple: Use the phrase "I am from..." and finish that idea however you like. We saw a few very eloquent examples from past 6th graders, and then we were set loose.

I think there's something to be said for first drafts of anything. First impressions, a first journal entry, the first person who comes to mind when you want to share a story. So here's the first draft of my poem, born in five minutes.

I am from thousands of miles away,

I am from wherever I am.

I am from crowded streets and the Great Plains, 

But mostly, I am from my family. 

I am from my parents who raised me,

From my brother who guides me,

From my dog who loves me,

And from my friends who journey through life with me. 

Training has been enlightening and memorable. Minutes are worth something else here. I've only been working for four days and I can't believe how much I've learned, and even more surprisingly, how much I trust these people who have become most of my world.