我的家乡
我来自衣夹，
由漂白剂和四氯化碳制成。
我来自后廊下的泥土里。
（黑色，闪闪发光，
尝起来像甜菜根。）
我来自连翘丛
荷兰榆树
我记得他早已消失的肢体
就好像它们是我自己的东西一样。
我来自软糖和眼镜店，
来自 Imogene 和 Alafair。
我属于那种自以为是的人。
以及传承，
从“振作起来！”和“安静下来！”
我来自祂，祂使我的灵魂苏醒
带着棉球小羊
我可以自己背诵十节诗。
我来自阿特姆斯和比莉的布兰奇，
炸玉米和浓咖啡。
从我祖父失去的手指开始
到螺旋钻，
我父亲为了保住视力而闭上的那只眼睛。
床底下有个衣服盒
散落的旧照片
一张张迷失的面孔
沉入我的梦乡。
我来自那些时刻——
还没发芽就断了——
家族树上的落叶。
乔治·埃拉·里昂
了解更多关于这首诗的起源、“我来自”项目，并阅读里昂对那些受到启发想要创作自己版本的人的指导之词。
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Each one teach one from the heart, and may hearts shake hands with each other. Mitákuye oyàsin, hozho naasha doo, beannacht. }:- a.m.
Thank you for Your project and bringing Where I am From back into my consciousness.
I used George Ella Lyon's Where I Am From poem in Belize to break stereotypes between cultures and teach using the 5 senses and descriptive writing with ESL and high school students. We then did an exchange with a rural school in Pennsylvania where I lived at the time as a way to build bridges beyond stereotypes of America. It was a powerful experience for the students and teachers and me too.
I'd often thought of revisiting especially during this time of extreme polarization because as I traveled across the US in 2016, 17 & 19 on tour facilitating recovery from trauma sessions, I met people of all walks of life across all political views and underneath it all we all want to be heard and understood ♡