Where I'm From :: Poem

Where I’m From

by Tammi Salas

I am from the sound of an early morning alarm clock waking my father for work

I am from sugar cinnamon toast for breakfast and chocolate milk mustaches

I am from the astringent odor of Aqua-net hairspray keeping my tight pony tail firmly in place

I am from striped terrycloth shorts and matching tank tops

I am from a wood paneled living room, giant canopied bed and kidney-shaped pool

I am from the most well vacuumed house in the neighborhood

I am from tuna casserole and warm Spam sandwiches with tangy yellow mustard for dinner

I am from 1970’s Southern California suburbia

I am from a hardworking, blue collar man who, at age 12, was made an orphan

I am from a skinny, teenage girl who ran away from home to start anew

I am from secrets and whispers from behind closed doors at night

I am from a surprise to both of them

I am from hopscotch-covered asphalt cul-de-sacs and my mom’s piercing whistle calling us home for dinner

I am from Blue Bird troupes, drill teams and cheerleading squads  

I am from a short line of siblings that make me the eldest

I am from good grades and trips to the Little Red Schoolhouse for back-to-school supplies

I am from unstructured playtime, candy necklaces and record players

I am from bedroom walls that secured my most prized possessions - my albums, my typewriter, my Laura Ingalls-Wilder books and my writing desk with a secret compartment

I am from art-lined closets that housed my drawings, relegated there because they “don’t go” with anything else in the house

I am from Friday nights eating homemade popcorn and watching The Love Boat

I am from Saturday morning big breakfast rituals and manic “girls only” housecleaning chores 

I am from Sunday night baths and the sound of a stopwatch ticking indicating 60 Minutes was about to start

I am from a family that created itself from nothing

I am from a family that played house for over two decades

I am from a family that imploded just as I was navigating adulthood

I am from all of this and it serves me

I am from all of this and it haunts me

I am from nostalgia

I am from young love

I am from George & Donna Beth.