Where I'm From

I am from dusty snow globes
And old sneakers that hide
Under the dresser
I am from cat scratches and stubbed toes
Bee stings and skinned knees
I am from childhood dreams
And the promises that keep them at bay
I am from yellow plastic whiffleball bats
Wrapped with silver duct tape more to hold them together
Than to give them weight
And from the home run whiffleballs
Hidden somewhere in the hedge
I am from old books and hand-me-down shirts
"Wait your turn"s and "cut it out"s
And balmy nights spent catching Tinkerbelle in a jar.
I am from "I yell because I care"
And scoldings followed by hugs
I am from the kickball diamond at school
With bases drawn in the dirt
And from my concrete back steps
Where my sister used to paint my fingernails
And tell me about being in love
I am from streets I could walk with my eyes closed
And store clerks who know me by name
I am from the town that held me close
And let me go.