Related quotes: The teacher of history's work...

The teacher of history's work should be, ideally, not simply a description of past cultures, but a performance of the culture in which we live and are increasingly taking our being.

quote by William Irwin Thompson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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It Does Not Have To Be This Way

Every culture tries to control, manipulate, shame, dominate the other culture, the dominate cultures today where the so called inferior cultures of the past, the so called inferiors to day where the dominate cultures of the past in many or most cases, in their region or in their portion of their continent. This is what individuals do to one another. This is how we are habituated on many levels, but it does not have to be this way. Believe in your self, face this tendency of humanity that we need to grow out of, defend your self from this, rise without putting others down. Weed out dysfunctional patterns of relating, of being that you picked up from your family.

poem by Michael Kavuoti
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The History of Now

The recording of culture is history;
but our culture is more than that.
It's the world of human action,
and the myths we make of the fact.

The recording of history is culture,
but our history is more than that.
It informs a hidden agenda.
Unconscious of motive we act.

It's the history of now, the history of now.
It's only the present that exists as endowed.
It's the history of now. The moment - KAPOW!
That knocks you right over and muddies your brow.

Through the prism of language, we know what we know.
We carry our baggage and stories of woe.
Victor and vanquished pride cannot budge,
the dead weight of hatred and ancestral grudge.

We fight our good fights with our hand on our heart;
the music is swelling as loved ones depart.
As sheep to the slaughter, the script cannot chart,
a course more ignoble: the propagandist's art.

The recording of history is culture,
but our culture is more than that.
More than the great individuals,
the scholars so love in their tracts.

The recording of culture is history;
but our history is more than that.
Not simple dates or statistics,
the full horror and gore still attracts.

It's the history of now, the history of now.
A strange contradiction that makes sense somehow.
It's the history of now, a mystery and shroud.
The past and the future: best fiction allowed.

poem by David SmithWhite
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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For My History Teacher

I’m sitting in class,
My eyes about to close,
I hope teacher don’t see,
I hope she don’t see me.

Bored out of my mind,
Falling so behind,
Cannot concentrate,
I came to class too late.

Although I was on time,
My body was I mean,
My mind is still outside,
From class trying to hide.

What does all this mean?
I haven’t used it yet,
How can I retain it,
When already I forget?

And then she walks over,
That teacher of mine,
A smile in her eyes,
A gentle one at that,
She puts her hand on me,
And sets me kind of free.

Now here I am in class,
Learning about the past,
About history,
And what it did for me.

How we can learn,
From mistakes of old,
Of people so different,
Some so very bold.

Some stood against oppression,
Some stood against the wrong,
Some said it with dignity,
Some said it with a song.

I owe it to them,
And teacher here to hear,
What they did for us,
And no longer fear.

That knowledge is so dull,
No longer hurts my brain,
No longer hurts my skull,
It will surely keep me sane.

The past is the future,
Unless I stay awake,
So I can benefit,
There’s much more at stake.

Than I thought before,
Before I got to class,
Thank you History teacher,
For bringing to life the past.

I never got bored in History class, because I had a wonderful History Teacher. This is for her.

poem by Aisha Sherazi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Indigenous people

Indigenous people
Live their lives
Unknown, unsure
To a land no longer ours
Lost in wars
Of long ago
Many of us
Cultures no more
We live in societies
Torn from the past
It breeds in us all
A culture no more
We fight our own doubts
About cultures lost
Who are we really?
Natives of this land
I speak for those
Who believe in their dreams?
Only to learn
We are heathens of old
Land once belonged
To the natives of this world
Now it belongs to a system
That is tainted with wars
The wild fields of old
Live on in our dreams
Dreams that our forefathers bared
I'm a native, a warrior
Born of this land
I fight for the freedom
To be indigenous and free
I call forth my forefathers
To claim to all whom I am
An indigenous person
Who fights to be free?

poem by Kaila George
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Teacher Says, Teacher Goes

Teacher says,
teacher goes,
teacher smiles,
teacher knows,

what you have done,
was clearly a mistake,
maybe it is,
time for a break.

Teacher says,
teacher goes,
teacher smiles,
teacher knows,

that you have been naughty.
That you have been quite foughty.
That you are being rude,
don't call teacher a dude.

Teacher says,
teacher goes,
teacher smilies,
teacher know,

that you were making faces,
behind teachers back,
that you were throwing spitballs,
at the teacher's pet.

Teacher says,
teacher goes,
teacher smiles,
teacher knows.

So enough is said,
so now you know,
that whatever you do.....

Teacher says,
Teacher goes,
Teacher smilies,
Teacher knows

poem by Jasmine Aira
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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