What I Mean by History
(for Malidoma Some)
We are taking a journey together.
This is not just a class
And what I'm trying to give you
Is not just information.
We are spending time together.
To make it meaningful
Means we're both engaged.
When I tell you, you will have
A shallow sense of life and
A shallow identity if you
have no history,
I don't say this to make you feel bad.
I say this to intrigue you,
To whet your appetite
For the inner journey.
The journey to inner strength
Where you will have
The soul fire to weather
The winds of trouble,
The pain that touches
Every life.
Without connection to the living tree
We call the ancestors
Those winds will blow you over,
Knock you down,
Beat you to the ground.
I know!
I've struggled up many times.
Been knocked down again
Over and over.
Without that ancestral voice
Saying get up! You're not unique.
We were knocked down.
We got up so you could Be!
Without that voice
Living inside you
We are lost
And the game is up!
That's what I mean
by history!
