Where I'm From

It started with a drop of McCoy blood,
That long ago infamous feud,
Now filmed for television in order that
My kin be laughed at and discussed
(Not that they weren't before)
And here I am, my sisters and I, seventh generation.

From three months of Sunshine, too much,
North Carolina was the right fit for us.
A little town - Mt. Hollywood, we called her.
We kids believed to be made for bigger lives.
And so they dreamed, and I wrote -
A sign of boredom at first
Now, a career choice I look forward to regretting.

From childhood, growing up like a stubborn, endless weed
Reciting Dr. Seuss before learning how to read,
From animals of both me and those as pets
Me as a cheetah, horse, wolf, growling dog,
Breathing animals: cats, dogs, fish, frozen lizard,
Oh, the green snake, hermit crab, hamsters galore,
Baby birds, week-long guinea pig, and the turtle that refuses death.

From books to falling for film
Moonstruck, Moulin Rouge, Adventureland, The Lion King
Oh, longing to do that!
Met by my mother's harsh tongue and quick sting
Still, I dreamed on a bed by the window
Where the trees' leaves fell over and over again
Until cut down, I tearfully plotted revenge.

From running barefoot on the splintered deck
Round the pool, both swimming hole and frog love boat
Never tanning, always burning my white Welsh skin
Resisting school for summer's play or tuning out to write the day away
In a world that only made sense in my head
Until college showed up and brought me here instead.