Divine Graffiti

I Am From….

22 May 2009 3 Comments

by divinescribble in Uncategorized Tags: adoption, ancestry, family tree, history, karma, Mennonite, poems, the kids are alright, wanderlust, who i am, wisdom

Our church asked us to write a poem or verse about where we are from…or who we are. I didn’t have this done in time, nor did I know what it would be.

But tonight it came:

I am from the womb of a black haired, dark eyed Jewish woman who shouldn’t but did.

I am from the seed of a brown haired, green eyed man with sawdust on his hands.

My contractions began in the middle of the Goochland Depart of Corrections while she served for crimes I know nothing about.

I am loved by the hips of a lady who fed children by the dozens while they waited for new homes.

I BECAME THE CHILD OF:

Two people who couldn’t but did.
A woman and man who loved and served, yet were left empty handed.

A history of dairy farms, hay bales, tractors and early mornings.
Mountain churches, outhouses, barefoot babies and bullet holes.

Swinging bridges, hollers and Sunday School.
Wagon rides, britches, coverings and Bibles.

Mennonite history.
Grandchild of a Bishop and missionary.
Daughter of ministry.
Child of expectation.

Brought up in the world of buses and taxis.
Vacationed on tropical beaches…surrounded by palm trees, monkeys and sun.

Surrounded by Hindus and Muslims and Pagans.
Sleeping in to the sounds of water on sand.

I AM NOW:

Addicted to water and sunsets and tidepools.
I long for hot sunshine and wine and tomatoes.
Milking cows in my sleep while waitng on surfboards.
My knees are bruised from prayers for my children and
I can’t stand the silence when the Imam calls Time.

My life has spanned countries, nations and cultures.

Yet, at the close of the day….

I am fully the product of where I have come from. The heritage born in me…the culture fed into me….the lifetimes of living sequestered in me…

At the end of the day….
I come from a place I’ll never return to.
I was born in a place that I’ll always call home.
I lived in a place that I’ll always return to.
I am in a place that I’ll make my own.