Origins

It’s strange to think that so many of my poems start with a prompt, or a question, or a smell, or color, or a sound.

I was asked in a workshop about three years ago to answer the question, “Where Are You From?”

I could say I’m from the eastern United States. I could say that I am from a certain county, a certain state, a certain city.

I could’ve told you where I am from by the foods I eat, or the clothes I wear, or the way I talk.

But I wanted something more. I wanted to cross geographical location with familial history and culture. I wanted to tell the truth, in bitterness and in sweetness. And thus was born “You Asked Me, ‘Where Are You From?'”

A huge shoutout to the amazing folks at Barren Magazine for giving my little piece a home. It truly means a lot to me.