I have often noticed that ancestors never boast of the descendants who boast of ancestors. I would rather start a family than finish one. Blood will tell, but often it tells too much.
quote by Don Marquis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
None of us can boast about the morality of our ancestors. The record does not show that Adam and Eve were ever married.
quote by Edgar Watson Howe
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Men can know more than their ancestors did if they start with a knowledge of what their ancestors had already learned....That is why a society can be progressive only if it conserves its traditions.
quote by Walter Lippmann
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Today You Guys Are Just Going To Have To Wait
At times I feel,
I provoke the ghosts...
Of my ancestors.
Especially when I know,
I am not at my best!
And rest I'd rather get.
Than to impress with those gifts,
From which I did get,
As a result of my ancestors blood and sweat.
Never did I wish,
To sit...
In the taking for granted,
Of those I represent and miss.
But I do admit,
A feeling I provoke...
The wishes of my ancestors.
Those ghosts within me that make visits.
Awaiting impatiently to do...
Not what I want.
But what they insist!
'Today you guys are just going to have to wait,
And sit.
I am tired.
I need rest.
And rest I am going to get! '
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Obon
Deceased spirits
Family’s ancestors
Vital part
Family life
Family tradition
How far dispersed
To gather at
Family home
The reunion
Affectionate moments
To spend with
Living family members
To honor memory
Of family who have passed on
To spend time
To spruce up graves
To guide the souls
Of the ancestors
Lantern are lit
In front of family homes
With fruits
And assorted foods
Set on a Buddhist altar
They are welcomed home
Upon rivers and streams
Touching and poetic launch
Of illuminated lanterns
To guide spirits back
poem by Ahmad Shiddiqi
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Honourable Exception Advice Heeded Aneyoshi Descendants
Aneyoshi ancestors carved tsunami warning in stone
a love blessing warning standing warning descendants
Aneyoshi quiet wise hamlet of respectful descendants
Aneyoshi tightly knit community of listening descendants
Aneyoshi where above tsunami marker people built homes
honourable exception advice heeded Aneyoshi descendants
all high built their homes wave unscathed warned in stone
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits.
Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.
quote by Ralph Ellison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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C-C-Civilization
Our ancestors must be rolling in their graves right now
Could they only see what has begotten of mankind:
Unself-respecting descendants in suits and skirts
Armed with pointless words stabbing each other on the backs
Drawing no blood but in their maiden thoughts
Afraid, shy deceivers... Lead in the communal water
Poisoning no one but themselves
Too bad we're still as resilient as they were.
Like cockroaches. Just without the balls.
Draw, you sissies!
poem by Eon Ezkiel
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Pride And Ego
I hide this in my heart,
for a long time and,
people noticed it,
friends talked about it,
though they do not know,
what that is hidden anew,
I nurture it day by day,
strengthen it say by say,
people noticed it,
friends talked about it,
When they know about it,
I do not understand what is it,
I boast about me and
let my friends to flatter about me,
For the flattering that I get,
I boast about me and
let myself to flatter about them,
My friends know about it,
I know about them,
To survive in this world,
we have to scratch one another,
but the truth hidden in my safe,
can not be shunned always,
from the watchful eyes of my friends,
a word, an action or a scream,
may bring out all the goods,
and evils that is kept in my heart.
as the old meat decays and
emits the repelling odor or
the sweet fermented smell,
from the dried flowers.
poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi
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Haunted By My Own
Haunted by my own.
Haunted by a bloodline...
My ancestors have sewn.
And I confess...
My obsession to do my best!
This wont leave me alone.
I feel I am here,
To make their voices known.
I can not neglect a moment of respect.
To be perceived as a disrespect.
I must protect and protest indignities!
Haunted by my own.
Haunted by a bloodline...
My ancestors have sewn.
And I confess...
The challenge to please them,
Leaves me restless to achieve.
To heights of a success...
That will have all believe I have succeeded.
And my ancestors can attest,
I have done them well!
Although my haunting will continue,
Since they and I are not quite through...
To convince with proof what I am here to do!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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A Romance
He looks at me with a madman's eyes -
It's your house and porch I know so well.
He gives me a kiss with his crimson lips -
Our ancestors had gone to war in scales of steel.
He brought me a bouquet of crimson carnations -
It's your austere face I know so well.
He asked in return for a single kiss -
Our ancestors had gone to war in scales of steel.
He touched me with his finger bearing a dark ring -
It is your dark ring I know so well.
Together we tumbled down on a Turkish divan -
Our ancestors had gone to war in scales of steel.
He looks at me with a madman's eyes -
Dwindle away, o you stars, and fade, o you moon!
He gives me a kiss with his crimson lips -
Our ancestors had gone to war in scales of steel.
poem by Daniil Ivanovich Kharms
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Meeting
Hidden by old age awhile
In masker's cloak and hood,
Each hating what the other loved,
Face to face we stood:
'That I have met with such,' said he,
'Bodes me little good.'
'Let others boast their fill,' said I,
'But never dare to boast
That such as I had such a man
For lover in the past;
Say that of living men I hate
Such a man the most.'
'A loony'd boast of such a love,'
He in his rage declared:
But such as he for such as me --
Could we both discard
This beggarly habiliment --
Had found a sweeter word.
poem by William Butler Yeats
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To The Right Honourable The Earl Of Thomond, At Bath
Obrian, were in Story told,
Thy Ancestors wore Crowns of old:
In fair Hibernia's Isle they reign'd;
A Country, by their Sons disdain'd!
Too apt to charge their Native Isle
With ev'ry Vice of Speech and Style:
Yet thy Eliza, great and good,
Of Seymour's, and of Piercy's Blood,
(Whose Ancestors, to Fame well known,
When injur'd, shook the British Throne
Will not thy native Isle deride,
Tho' to an higher Crown ally'd.
And shall Hibernia fear Disgrace,
From Thomond, of Milesian Race?
It ill becomes thee thus to treat
Thy Family's Imperial Seat.
Great Boiroimke! look down and see
This Change in thy Posterity;
Who quit all Titles to thy Throne,
But Hospitality alone.
poem by Mary Barber
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The people made worse off by slavery were those who were enslaved. Their descendants would have been worse off today if born in Africa instead of America. Put differently, the terrible fate of their ancestors benefitted them.
quote by Thomas Sowell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I’ll Change My Name
I give you thanks all my people
Congratulations,
For helping change my name
Which initials would not be known to our ancestors.
I’ll change my mother tongue and modify my Alma-matter
I’ll change my voice so you would no longer recognize my songs
I’ll cut all the favorable crops in the farm and plant in it new ones
Just like the frog, I’ll bathe in waters
In order to differ from the toad.
All because I’ll change my name
Which initials would not be known to our ancestors.
I write this to you all my people
That ignorance deserted me from my own land
And I’ll come back no more
I gave it in worlds that you could understand
In parables I left it with others that they would also understand
And tell the ancestors that
I’ll change my name which initials would not be known to them
Tell me if the ancestors are still alive,
Lying there and see you helped me change my name
Tell me if they have lost their eyes and years
That they can’t see and hear
If so, then my people, you those
Whose fire woods have reached your head load
Go and tell them, I say
I’ll change my name which initials would not be known to them.
Once men could now see and hear
That I’ll change my name;
Today that I’m felt with the muse of poetry
In my shabby cloths
I gave it out in words and parables
That you helped me change my name.
Thanks,
Thank you all my people
Congratulations,
Tell them and more handsome rewards from heavens
If not too far from you
Just because you helped me change my name
Which initials would not be known to our ancestors
But still, I’ll change my name.
copyright (c) Sep.2006 E. Korsi Senyo Kumedzina
poem by Korsi Senyo
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My Father's Son
I am my father's son.
And proud am I to be!
I am his namesake.
And it is up to me...
To ensure my journey,
Reflects what to me this means.
And I owe it to him and my ancestors...
To rise above any obstacles I see.
I am my father's son.
And proud am I to be!
I will do my best always.
And face those tests with dignity.
What I am given to receive...
I accept with a will to make him,
And those of my ancestors pleased!
I am my father's son!
And I want this known to everyone!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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I Want To Be A Good Forefather!
Praise be to our forefathers who toiled hard,
On the soaked infested soil to flatten and build,
The dreams of what they thought specifically apt,
to their children of their children to relax and rest.
Visionaries were our ancestors, who have planned,
The neutral policies to benefit the people to thrive,
What thought they needed, that were appropriate,
to have a happy family with money and sweat.
People have luxury as they have had the adventurous ancestors,
People lead prosperous life at the intelligence of their elders,
People have the voice to speak and force others to listen,
As they have had the adaptable forefathers who have the vision.
poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi
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My Ancestors Still Speaks
Hear the Negros from my ancestors to the generation of young Blacks
Americans proudly say: Our black is united together around the world,
different ethnic backgrounds together we are one.
Our black stands strong through the evil of racism and diversity
Our black is bold
Our black is free
Our black lives on
My ancestors still speaks.
poem by Anasha Greham
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A little Extra for M'lady Ernestine
I am the hostess with most.
I even boast a family ghost.
Who haunts the family estate.
Of course you must appreciate
she is quite free to come and go.
You never know if she’ll appear.
She’s been around for centuries
and she is rather hard to please.
She will not mix with commoners.
It is the gentry she prefers.
Just who she was nobody knows.
A titled lady we suppose.
A snob or course she is my dear
Her actions make that very clear.
Her history a mystery.
You have to be well bred to see
The ghost I like to brag about.
That she is real, please do not doubt.
If you should see her you can boast
that you have seen the family ghost.
Which seems to prove you are well bred
although the lady’s long since dead.
She recognises quality
the upper class like you and me
If you don’t see her though you try.
The answer is to simply lie
Just like the vast majority
of people who have claimed to see.
A non existent family ghost
A fable dreamt up by your host.
Which seems to prove as she contends
that people pose to please their friends..
They lie about the lie she told.
She lied to show that she was bold
enough to make her story seem quite true.
And you believed the more fool you.
24/06/2009
http: // blog.myspace.com/poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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You Tell Me Of Your Australian History
You tell me of your Australian history your ancestors were British and Irish pioneers
But your history in this Land is not an old history just two centuries and twenty years
And in time that may seem quite a long span though the combined life spans of three people nothing more
Your ancestors hardly were Aussies they came here from a distant shore.
The first Australians have lived in this Country for longer than most care to know
Their ancestors came here from Asia more than sixty thousand years ago
They are indigenous to this Country all others have links to elsewhere
Yet they still struggle for recognition and that to me seems quite unfair.
Dispossessed by the Northern invaders they never did get back their Land
And that they are now ruled by white people I find that hard to understand
You talk of the history of this Land as if it were only two hundred years old
But then suppose the history of the ancient Dreamtime by white people will never be told.
I was not even born in this Country which makes you more Aussie than I
And though I'm not Nationalistic or Patriotic my heritage I won''t deny
You talk of your pioneering ancestors but why talk of Human history at all
If the history of the first Australians you do not see fit to recall.
You tell me of your pioneering ancestors but one fact you tend to ignore
That they were not born in this Country they came here from a foreign shore
You''d swear by you the Human history of this Land was only two centuries old
But the true history of this great Country by your type will never be told
poem by Francis Duggan
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