Where I Am From
by Robert Schlictmann
I am of German and Polish heritage.
My father was from Germany and a city called Hamburg.
My father loved the Ocean.
My father’s family owned a butcher shop.
My mother’s family was from Poland.
My mother’s family was Slavic.
My mother’s family drifted like Gypsy.
My mother’s family came to America to avoid persecution and because of being drifters.
My mother’s family wanted to be stable and came to America.
They hoped it was the answer.
My Father’s family came to America to avoid war.
My Father and Mother met because of their family occupations.
This was my heritage.
Who I have become?
My ancestors made me proud to be and American.
Becoming an American my family said learn what you can.
I graduated high school and continued my learning thanks to America favorite past time. Baseball!
While in high school I made friends with many people from different heritages.
The people were different in religion, race, and creed but we all had one mission to make it in America.
My culture changed with the times and the people I knew and loved.
This new family adopted America.
It was 1968 and America was at war.
It became a way of thanking America.
The bugles called and I was proud.
The Marines were the symbol of America to me.
I went to war for this symbol.
Many people were dying.
In the 70’s it became something distasteful for my family.
Songs and other things were being said.
Peter, Paul, and Mary song “Where did all the Flowers go”
The flowers were symbols of the lost men.
Luckily Nixon got us out.
I moved on.
Now is a time of change and my family has taken up my heritage.
My new family is the kids I teach from other cultures, languages, races, and creeds.
My new family needs my help.
I plan on being able to give them the help they need.
Robert Schlichtmann is an ESL teacher at Ben Franklin High School. He joined Philadelphia Writing Project in 2014 after attending the ELL Invitational Summer Institute.