POETRY 2024: Where I'm from by Sheila Smith Evans

Send us Fan Mail Where I'm from by Sheila Smith Evans I’m from a Southern backyard — Magnolia grandiflora sporting huge white blooms Honeysuckles spilling over the fence Red roses soaked with the aroma of tea Hollyhocks springing up yearly into flowering towers Mud pies made beneath a magnificent pin oak tree Mint leaves mysteriously exploding with flavor Milk pods being tasted unknowing they were poisonous. I’m from a Southern backyard — Bedroom window we escaped to crawl space door To meet our coonhound and to play in the moonlight. Bedroom window we each escaped separately Out into moonlit streets until return by kind policemen. I’m from a Southern backyard — Concrete foundation swirls scarily like a gorilla’s face Wooden swing where we watched mad Mommy fleeing Crawl space hound’s howls after Daddy’s death. I’m from a Southern backyard — From which Mommy returned to hospital after funeral From which we left with barely known Northern kinfolk To which others came to live in the bounty of its beauty. Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. Support the show Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected] Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at [email protected] Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at [email protected] General inquiries: [email protected] Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout. Thank you for listening!