Poem submitted by Gloria Salcido
I am from
Wood-panel walls
A Bible and notebook left open on the couch Men’s dress shoes
and boys’ sneakers
strewn
about the living room
A messy bedroom
Stacks of fiction books
Magic Tree House and Nancy Drew Clothes in piles
A clear path from my bed to the door
I am from
Bar-S bologna, the kind
with the red plastic ring
Off-brand peanut butter and bread Chorizo con papas
Kix and Life cereal
from WIC
Scrambled eggs with weenies
Kool-aid, if
we had sugar that week
I am from
Making fires to keep warm
“Don’t turn on the heater,
the PG&E bill is too high”
Can’t have friends over
because the pantry is empty
Searching the sofa
for change
Lemonade stands
to pay for dinner
I am from
“This is an adult conversation”
And “Mira, vas a ver”
And “keep an eye on your brothers”
From “so mature for her age”
And “smarter than most adults” From “beans and rice and Jesus Christ” And “See, God ALWAYS provides”
I am from
Family dinners
“No reading at the table”
Saturday morning cartoons
Sonic, Winx Club, Ninja Turtles Brothers trickle in
as they wake
Wrapped in blankets
fighting over the recliner
and the fuzzy baby blanket
I am from
Watching PBS Kids after school Riding bikes
Hide and seek around the house Lava floors with
sofa-cushion rocks
Friday night blanket forts
Staying up late to watch
Agent Cody Banks
Matilda, or Are We There Yet
all our favorite movies
I am from
A vast unkempt backyard
full of dried grass
Skateboards left out
from brothers practicing tricks
An old doghouse
that our dog refused to enter
gathering cobwebs
Rope swing hanging unused
because of the spider-y tree
and the rope too rough
to hold long enough to swing
I am from
A rainbow of roses
peeking over the fence
from the neighbor’s yard
Watching the ups and downs
of my childhood home