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Every morning
When I glance into the mirror
I look deep inside
Deeper than my subtly-thinning hair
Deeper than my raven beard
Deeper than my mocha complexion
Laden with marks
Of life's wear and tear 
And high cheek bones
I see multitudes
From across the hemispheres
Different yet united
I listen intently
For each of my ancestors
Have a story to tell me
And a lesson I must learn.

I see a people
Of melodic turn-of-phrase
And flowing, colorful garments
Who were snatched from their homelands eons ago
Stripped of culture
Stripped of language
Stripped almost of dignity
Yet their eyes remain upward to their Maker
And they endure with longsuffering, song and dance
As they wait for their dawn

They are teaching me patience.

I see a people
With years of history and tradition on their shoulders
And the ability to adapt to new environments
Share their culture
And integrate the culture 
Of the stranger
And yet, for all their acclaimed civilization
They are driven from their farms and 
Forced to a territory far away
And with others they have never met before
Even so
They hold on to their identity
And learn harmony with their other red cousins

They are teaching me coexistence.

I see a people
Whose island
And the fables, customs, and faith therein
Mean the world to them.
They would have it for themselves
And not let empires dictate how they pray
And the language they speak
Though outnumbered and outgunned
They defended what was theirs for centuries
And would not leave
Except to keep their children fed
Yet they never kindled the light of hope
Of someday being free
Rejoicing, singing, and dancing
When the enemy finally
Became tired of beating a boulder
And decided to let them be

They are teaching me persistence.

I see a people
Who for hundreds of years
And thousands of miles
Travelled southward
Not looking for a final resting place
But wanting to hunt the buffalo
And enjoy the land that sustains them
Even so
Their enemies wanted them to stay in one place
Wear their clothes
And eat the food they give them
They resisted
And would not surrender
Until they lost everything else that mattered to them
Yet even for decades after
Their enemies marveled and shivered
At the mention of their name

They are teaching me strength.

I see a people
Who stand straight
Honor time
And study the details many deem mundane
They make music
Build cathedrals
And create theories of philosophy.
They drink the best and eat hearty meats and breads
They drove away the southeastern encroachers
And safeguarded their continent
Only, in a period of desperation and madness
Allowed their leader to take more than what they earned
Only to lose what they had earned.
Yet in their humility
They rebuilt 
They began again
And is now a beacon of the world

They are teaching me pride.

These people, these multitudes
Have taught me much
About heritage
And about myself.
They have gained much
They have lost must
They have regained
They are ascending
They are in a holding pattern
But they soldier on
And so must I
When I listen to my ancestors
I listen to myself
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