Where I’m From
West Willow Subdivision
Where I’m from
men came to work in the factories
northerners and southerners lived together in the same neighborhood
and worked together in the same plant
building the machines that allowed the American way of life
the machines of transportation and status, the automobile
Where I’m from
the factory where Rosie The Riveter built B29 Liberator Bombers
still cast a shadow on our neighborhood
and later expanded to employed my father
to paint Corvairs
Where I’m from
you could wave to pilots landing at the airport by the factory
as they flew low over your house
you would sit on your roof for summer airshows
and watch The Blue Angels soar over your head
followed seconds later by their sound
Where I’m from
you knew your neighbors
parents said, “go outside and play.”
children played until the street lights came on
the signal to come home
Where I’m from
streets were named after car companies
Studebaker, Desoto, Buick, Chevrolet
each lined with rows of similar small houses
built to house blue collars
Where I’m from
you walked to the neighborhood school
or rode your bike
and lived for recess
Where I’m from
you ran the neighborhood
then you ran home to get change
when you heard Gus the Ice Cream Man’s truck
