Poetry Bonanza - Part 1

[mllelaurel]

I Am From

I am from high rises and overgrown gardens
From somber school uniforms and perfectionism
And names many people have trouble pronouncing
And from rules made for someone other than me

I am from slippery stairs and shared backyards
From faded blue jeans and whimsical bits of rebellion
And posed pictures, and fluorescent lamps
And from learning how to be irresponsible

I am from foreign films, books and music
From clothes tossed on chairs, and a distinct lack of makeup
And TV dinners, and windows shut tight
And from trying to be everything for everyone

I am from painkillers and coffee with three spoonfuls of sugar
From what Mother said, and what Dad didn’t say
And sushi, Sakura blossoms, and traffic signs
And from lucid, hypothetical dreams



Soy De

Soy de rascacielos y jardines demasiado grandes
De uniformes de escuela sombrías y el perfeccionismo
Y las nombres que mucho gente to pueden pronunciar
Y de las reglas que no estan para mí

Soy de escaleras resbalosas y patios compartidos
De jeans azules decolorarses y un poco de rebelión caprichosa
Y fotos afectados, y lampas fluorecentes
Y de aprendendo como estar irresponsable

Soy de cine, libros, y musica extranjeros
De la ropa tirada en las sillas, y una falta de maquillaje distinta
Y “TV Dinners”, y ventanas cerradas
Y de tratando estar el todo para los todos

Soy de los analgésicos y el café con tres cucharadas de azucar
De lo que mi Madre dije y lo que Papa no dice
Y sushi, Sakura flores, y simvulos del tráfico
Y de sueñas lúcidas y hipotéticas.



Timestamp: 10th grade

The 'I am from' format is a favorite of Creative Writing teachers. It can be a warm-up, it can be an icebreaker, it can be a way to reassure people their writing doesn't suck... Still, I don't hate this. A few of the images may be too glib now, but I think most were well-chosen.

Oooh, and you can all play 'Spot the Japanese culture reference'. Those appeared a lot in my writing, as you'll see later on.

As for the translation, it was originally a Spanish class assignment, but I think I might actually like it better than the original. It adds a different twist to the whole premise. As far as I know, the grammar, vocab, etc. are ok. Ah, for the good old days, before I pretty much forgot all of my Spanish.