Hometown Poem
(Slightly adapted)
*Preface-I moved from Durant to Norman at the age of ten so my mom could finish her masters degree. I moved FROM an acreage next door to the safety of my Nonnie and Poppa’s house TO the big town of Norman. Unaware of how my sense of place had shaped my identity, I was immediately challenged to confront and conform in a new way-not only my own but family identity, sense of safety, emotional and physical (our house was broken into) and then there was my inherited bias-all while searching for new comforts. My definition of hometown has now evolved and is home to a new generation.
Homegrown
Durant, Quaint
Sunsets melt like butter
on cornbread, beefsteak tomatoes, sweet tea
Rhythmic warning of overgrown cicadas hammocking close by
A bit rough around the edges, hardworking, humble, kind, generous
Plucked from a safe nest of garden goodness to chase momma’s dream
Snowprints led me to the porch, was someone in there?
Nescient, traditional conformation meets awareness at the door
Charity begins at home, they say
Seasons of thunderstorms and tornadoes shape our lives literally and figuratively
Norman, Evolving like my own little family
*Shout out to M and M for the “assignment” and for growing me.
I loveeeee the line, “sunsets melt like butter” — I feel like it both paints the image of the Oklahoma sunset while maintaining the homey feel that butter evokes. I adore this piece!