I’m from
Pieces of tin foil, folded for reuse
Fels Naphtha soap,
Used on shirt collars and sassy mouths

I’m from
camelias, white, pink and variegated
A prolific Meyer lemon bush and an ancient apricot tree,
Whose abundance became pies, jam and canned fruit

I’m from
An RCA Victor record player in a special kitchen cabinet,
Fats Waller, show tunes, Mitch Miller, and big band,
Parental spins around the kitchen

I‘m from
The cigarette butts squished out in egg yolks,
Sky-high, from-scratch waffles, bread and angel food cake,
Warm summer evenings of barbeque smoke

I’m from
“Watch your tone, young lady”
“You’ll remember this discussion longer than you’ll remember a beating”
“Lift up your head, square your shoulders, take responsibility, and move on”

I’m from
Irony, sarcasm, love
Laughing out loud at yourself
And above all,
Grit.