Where+I'm+From

"Where I’m From" by Kendra Dawdy Ackerman   I’m from communion bread,  from white and black generic and Holy Ghost Creek. I’m from the windy, tiny, roaring-down-the-highway hometown. (Apricot trees out back, wide, embracing, perfect for playing house.) I’m from the tumbleweed and the once-a-summer gulley washers whose wet smacks christened a whole new adventure for me and Kara.  I’m from Acappella gospel,  //sing me that sweet old harmony // and short, but stubborn, from Ken and Shelley and Dawdy, Lively, now Ackerman. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I’m from the loud-mouth know-it-alls, and the always say you’re sorry, from don’t give into your sister and servants, leaders, perhaps workaholics. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I’m from Sampson with his eyes pok-ed out on the ride home and cleaning the church building on Saturday nights. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I'm from NM and CO, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">corn bread and pecans, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">white beans and pinto. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">From PawPaw drove a Ford wrecker, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Momma drove into a big tree in the middle of the road, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">and Granddad drove a big ‘ole green lawn mower. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Out of my mouth ring my family’s melodies—some rarely heard, some always present, like the hymns my granddad sang after he lost his mind or the ones my granny hums as she takes out the trash. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> I’m from the cedar chest my Daddy refinished for my Momma and then made one for me— <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">smells like camping, feels like home.