I Am From Poem

I am from South Korea

North Korea

One Korea,

Of pine and ginko

Mississippi water and quiet loon calls

From the amber waves of grain

From the empire of the iron train

From pastures to the birthplace of indoor shopping malls

Radio towers to my moms garden flowers,

The smell of spring summer and fall

I am from Happymeals, though not that often

I’d go to the Walmart instead, get my meals from shopping

Home cooked and pan fried, sautéed

Of all the dinners my uncle,grandma,father made

My family gatherings out in PA

Rice fields, corn fields are my roots

I am from sleep tonight, you’ll feel better tomorrow

From loving families but some pasts still torn with sorrow

Being a man or a boy, try not to get brought down

You got to be loud or invisible to stay in the crowd

I am from the unknown across both oceans, Pacific Atlantic

Put me anywhere in the world, my home is my safe place

But I’m so used to them checking my plane ticket

Pack my bags, I miss the town, but I’ll go anyways

From mentoring teachers, friends, coaches, heroes, my leaders

All of my education comes through for me to be here

Reflection: So this poem was written in class during the CLA lecture and so its not very well put together and I am all over with the rhyme scheme etc., but think of it more as spoken word and I think it comes off much better. I believe that the divide between North and South Korea is very sad for the people and families separated so I put both Korea’s to make a statement about that. Pine and ginko are well known trees being Mn and SK respectively. Referencing my more personal association with Minnesota, living in a state with large farming industry ( well used to be large) and the other industries like James J Hill etc. The radio tower I go by everyday I drive to school or into town.My mom has an amazing flower garden that is near are pool which attracts so many hummingbirds and butterflies every year. Walmart and Mcdonald’s are nods to my American culture and then segways into how we always believed in family dinners and good food.

I am from loving families but some people in certain parts of my family (newer family) have had disagreements and its been hard to mend that. Also my cousin committed suicide a few years ago which was really sad and several people, like both grandfathers have died so everyone has ups and downs. I love to travel and connect with my heritage and ancestry. I have been to both my “homelands” Germany and South Korea. I am 100% pure blood SK but my grandma always makes sure I know I am from a good German family. I have met both my family overseas so it was amazing culturally as well as fun to connect with new family.

In reference to my last couple of posts, I have a large native community in my town who are Dakota, however I cannot describe a personal relationship of these time periods every week. I have a ton of musical life related experiences, concerts and other things that directly relate to my life. I have participated in many of these types of things, but since I made these chronological, I cannot but these in my posts every time. Sorry, but so it goes. So I will try to make it more relevant to me, however, all of these Minnesotan culminations make up a large part of who I am.