Poem

Where I’m From

I am from a two stop-light town; from sweet tea and Crisco shortening

I am from a house with one bathroom and six inhabitants; rocking chairs by dawn and cozy fire

pits by dusk

I am from muscadine grape vines, big oaks, and dandelions

I am from Purvis and Chriscoe, Jenny and Jerry; blonde hair and blue eyes, hard work and family

time

From don’t speak if you have nothing nice to say to no blood or no bones — dry it up, from corn

doodles and goo-goo bars

I’m a river girl of Scottish descent, vacationing on the ocean’s shores, from callused hands in a

textile mill and World War II

I am from places one only longs to raise their children, from a small town with a big impact, and

a calling to somewhere far away with hopes the feeling of this place will always follow

— Mallie Clara Purvis

Moore County Writers’ Competition First Place Poetry Grades 9-12