Vanessa King

Where I'm From · Dec 2, 2025 · 18m

Where I’m From #16

By Vanessa King

Inspired George Ella Lyon

I am from chlorine.

From Speedo and Tyr.

I am from the stuccoed ranch on Estero and the poorly-placed box past the gate, too-green grass,

parchment skies, the blast of an oven every time you open the front door. But, hey, it’s a dry heat.

I’m from manicured palms and white-trunked orange, humming with bees my brother was

desperate to avoid. We were warned not to eat the fruit—it was bitter, collected for marmalade,

but I don’t know if that was true. At the bus stop, we chucked them into the street for Kyle to

drive over.

I’m from…