I AM Poem & Sense of Place

I AM POEMS (Fall 2017)

I. I AM Poems

We name things so we know what to call things.

So your name is an important part of language by the very many names you are called- nicknames, formal names, surnames, you name it!

You have an opportunity to tell about who you are.

You will have the opportunity to share about yourselves through your I AM (from) poem. It is your story in poetic form. Also because place is so important, you are invited to share about a place that has meaning to you. We situate ourselves in places. We cannot tell a story without a setting. So along with your I AM Poem, think of a place that has significance to you, special meaning and relevance to you. We encourage you to find your place on google earth or other maps so others can see it to. 

This is my poem about who I am. And yours will be different because there’s no scheme or parameters for this I AM poem because it represents who you are – unique –just like everyone else!  

You will have an opportunity to share your I AM poem with your peers in our course. This is an opportunity to get to know you and others, too. So in that spirit, this is who I am:

I AM FROM

I am from Lambert Street, lead contaminated row homes boxed in by drug dealers and addicts.

I am from freedom and responsibility with choices to fly high and dream big.

I am indivisible by nine.

I am from the crossroads of Kansas City and South Philadelphia.

I am from Mars and Venus, a butcher and a seamstress.

I am from burnt food, technical prowess and creative ingenuity.

I am from independent thinkers who created art by the lives they lived.

I am from baseball, fishing, crossword puzzles, pinochle, scrabble and sudoku.

I am from 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' and 'What the samhill is the matter with you?'

I am from garlic cloves and Ms. Van Esther.

I am from meatballs, Spaghetti and brachioles on Sunday dinner.

I am from the fear of Sr. Margaret St. Francis and the gentleness of Sr. Eleanor.

I am from music imagination, dreams and miracles.

I am from justice, civil rights,  and taking a stand.

I am from freedom and responsibility indivisible by nine minus one.

I am from past, present and future and all worlds in between.

I am still becoming.

                    __________________________________________

I AM FROM (version 2)

I am Frances from Philadelphia

Fish sticks on Fridays and spaghetti and meatballs on Sunday and burnt dinners in between.

I am from flute lessons, singing in the choir with a secret dream of dance lessons instead!

From long family drives to the airport to watch planes take off and land and surprise trips to amusements parks and just long drives away from Lambert Street.

I am from crossword puzzles, scrabble, stickball.

Dogs and cats and lots of brothers and sisters to watch and be watched over.

I am from Barbara and Daniel, two strong willed-parents who let me be myself.

I am from Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, where my love of family originated.

6 Word Autobiography:

 Philadelphia Frances from Flights of Freedom   (6/28/2017)

II. SENSE of PLACE

• • Lambert Street, Philadelphia, PA

• Fall 2013

• Previous Students' Places