I Am From Poem
Participants write a short four-stanza personal poem using four prompts rooted in childhood memory — neighbourhood sights and sounds, family food, family sayings, and important people from the past. Sharing these poems builds community and uncovers common ground across diverse backgrounds.
How to run it
- 1
Display the four stanza prompts simultaneously (important — let participants choose their own order): 1. Familiar sights, sounds and smells from your neighbourhood 2. Familiar names of foods and dishes from family gatherings 3. Familiar sayings often heard when growing up 4. Familiar people important to your past
- 2
Ask participants to begin each stanza with 'I am from…' (or another opening if they prefer).
- 3
Give 20–30 minutes to write.
- 4
Invite volunteers to share their poems with the group. Allow 20–30 minutes for sharing.
- 5
After sharing, reflect on the patterns, surprises, and connections that emerged.
Tips
Show all four prompts at once — it lets people write in the order that feels most natural.
Reassure participants there's no 'right' way to write a poem — this is about memory, not craft.
Works particularly well in groups that will work together over a long period — it creates a lasting sense of knowing each other.
Variations
Adapt the prompts for a professional context: 'I am from a team where… I am from a company that… I am from a time when…'
Where it fits
Related methods
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from University of Hawaii.