Origins: a journey from there to here

Origins: A journey from there to here

Write a poem about your origins.  Emotional,  spiritual,  physical as well as geographical.  I've written quite a few poems about my life, but I hope I've found something new to say in this one. It's not perfect,  but it's true.


An early move from crowded London
I grew up an Essex girl
My playground a disused war-time airfield
(So many different types of grass)
Bike rides to bluebell woods
Fishing for tiddlers in the municipal park
Overdue library books,  held onto far too long.

Drawn to the different, as I grew,
Declared myself Labour to a stuffy grammar school
Donned outrageous clothes
(Mum wouldn't walk down the street with me)
Danced with working class, and (gasp!) black, boys
My Dad wouldn't let me date.

Escaped the family home in the only way I knew
Marriage and motherhood young (too young)
A whole life spent pushing against constraint.
Didn't know what I wanted
Just - something else.
Took a leap,  found my feet,
Found myself.

I've grown old(er) in the countryside,
Learnt to ignore expectations, petty judgement
Wear and think what I want
Walk in the woods,  on the hillsides,  beside water
Watch the buzzards,  deer,  foxes,  wandering free
Find sense in the ancient pagan festivals
Lose myself for hours in yoga, portraiture, poetry.

Finally free,  finally me.


© Copyright 2019. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved


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