This poem has an interesting backstory. I wrote it four or five years ago, before I took the 23andMe DNA test. The family oral tradition on my father’s side was always that we were descendents of the Shawnee Indian. I decided to take the DNA test to finally prove it. Well, we got the shock of our lives when we found out our paternal line wasn’t Native American. The test proved, in fact, we were something very different (you can read the whole story here).
Thank you all for the awesome support you've shown me here. After over two decades of writing, it's so nice to find a place where poetry is appreciated. I hope you enjoy this one!
I am four generations removed
from a world unrecognizable,
a world without walls,
truth of word and of law
but ultimately just another domino
to fall in the name of progress
imagination can only give a glimpse
but the seed of memory is strong in me
often bubbling up as effervescent
wisdom whispering in my thoughts
the forest is where I come to worship
its great canopy, my cathedral
branches gently swaying in the breeze
to the melody of birdsong, its beautiful choir
I connect with Nature in all her majesty,
the supreme intelligence behind it
gives order to the chaos
again grounds and humbles me
leaving everything right again
just a brief respite from our unbalanced existence
but it helps to quell the sadness of the sorry state we’re in
then the Native Sun tells me to open my eyes
and see that humanity is finally beginning
to awaken from a slumber long huddled in Cimmerian shade
our family is being remade before our very eyes
and the children of new world are an amalgam
much stronger than the first,
now a harmony unimaginable can be visualized
shimmering in the not so distant twilight,
and felt flowing towards our shores
truth and destiny cannot forever be hushed
and to the Native Sun I whisper back, Please Hurry.
Did you miss my last poem? If so, read it here.
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Does anyone else get a paranoid feeling around those DNA collection services? Or is it just those of us who've been pricked by "the man" lol
I've always wanted to do that tho...there was another one that claims it can tell you if (for males) you are one of Genghis Khans rape-lovechild descendents.
I've thought about how the information could be used for nefarious means but in today's interconnected world that level of privacy is quickly becoming a thing of the past. I feel the information is valuable enough to justify the risks.
Nice story @ericvancewalton
I do not understand that already carry 24 sbd?
And I nothing.
An upvoted with my last poem
@ericvancewalton great work mate , good to see you personally reaching out to people in comments and helping them of sorts with SBD, thats what builds a good steem community
Thank you @alwayzgame. I believe deeply in this community. I've never experienced anything quite like it and am trying my best to enrich it so Steemit can go on to help many other creatives as it's helped me. Thanks so much for reading and your comment!
@ericvancewalton personally i feel that whales are letting the community down, i was happy to see you in the top 50 board a while back , keep it up man ur soon to a big mega whale
What a beautiful poem, eric. I share your love of nature and the habit of grounding and refreshing my soul by communing with the natural world. This expresses both that joy, and the pain from which we run in seeking solace in nature's arms. Thank you for sharing this. I am moved. <3
Thank you for your poetic comment! Nature is definitely a "reboot" for our souls!
Great poem @ericvancewalton!
I'm new and I love seeing the artistic side of Steemit stand out. Keep writing!
I really appreciate it, @littenti!
Followed and upvoted
wow......i really like this post. In fact i love it. I also do sometimes write poems but never uploaded before. I think i should upload them
Thank you, @ristolive! You should definitely go for it!
Thanks for sharing, nice poem
Thank you!
I love the poem and the tree is exquisite!
Thank you! I admire this tree every time I walk past it.
We had a similar oral history on my dad's side about being descended from a Cherokee woman. I started doing genealogy just after high school, and soon found there was no actual evidence of this in the paper trail. We, too, did the 23andme test, and it showed no Native American, which was just as I suspected.
But, it DID show a fairly significant percentage of Ashkenazi Jewish DNA on my dad's side, which was a surprise. Further research into the records revealed to me that the Cherokee woman who supposedly married one of my dad's male ancestors in the 1700's was actually a half-Jewish woman, with a full Jewish father. I don't know how the family story changed her from Jewish to Cherokee, but that's how it went.
It's important in genealogy to investigate those oral histories. There's often at least a grain of truth in them, but getting the whole, real story requires research, and you may be surprised at what really happened among your ancestors.
That's what we found out we were as well, Ashkenazi. From what I've discovered it was fairly common for immigrant families after a few generations to claim Native American heritage to try to escape the severe persecution they experienced in their homeland. I'm no less proud of our true heritage. It's great to know our true roots.
I agree! I'd much rather know the truth of my family heritage, than believe in a legend that isn't real. Honoring my ancestors is important to me, and I want to know who to honor.
Definitely, @stephmckenzie. I'm so glad I know the truth now.
How old is this tree?
My guess is more than 200 years old. We live in a Victorian neighborhood and I snapped this picture while walking our beagle. The old oak tree is easily 9ft wide.
Another shot of the tree.
I have been a great fan of your work. This is such a beautiful poem. Very beautifully written. Love to see this area is also getting recognised on this platform.
This poem is very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
We are, in general, very preoccupied with knowing our origin. Rumi, the great Iranian poet (13th century A.D.), says:
روزها فکر من این است و همه شب سخنم،
که چرا غافل از احوال دل خویشتنم؟
از کجا آمدهام، آمدنم بهر چه بود؟
به کجا میروم آخر ننمایی وطنم!
All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that,
And I intend to end up there.
This poem is as fresh and caressing the soul as the breeze at dawn ,thak you so much for sharing this beauty