Who’s My True Ancestor?
When I was young they told me
How my paternal great granddad was an ecky-becky (poor Whity)
On my mother’s side I had an Indian great grand
She married a half breed Chinese man
My name was taken from an American Lord
Yankee man who travelled by ship with slaves aboard
They said he was originally from Scotland and crossed
Regularly from coast to coast selling men at minimal cost
Under the many gene pools that tainted my blood
East to West, all kinds of manhood
Am I to contend that from my dark colored skin
None of these races have any part within
Can it be that I am chiefly a Black
Ethnically linked to a more African track
Should I refuse the many other tributaries
That converge to form this present man from the West Indies
Or can we not be so devoted to race but rather to blood
Race divides us, humanity unites us, so which do you think I should?
by Khaidji of Bajan Poetry Society
No offense intended by any Bajan terms used above.
Well done!
Someone who actually thinks and writes beautifully.
Dear Khaidji:
You are whoever you think you are.
At you age man you should not have to be asking anybody who you are.
‘J’. De man aint asking, as RC says it is a thoughtful and pointed poem. Brilliant in truth.
You are de man Khaidji. Now, THAT is worth reading.
I guess Obama should not see himself as a Black man and neither should anyone else see him as such. But these are the realities of our image culture. You are seen as the sum total of your skin color.
great play on reality and poetry, it encompases the social issues of our society in a single poem. How wonderful it is that we can live in a melting pot. Embrace them all for the are all a part of you, beautiful and diverse.
Here’s what one site claims to be some of Muhammad Ali’s ancestors …. right back to Venice Italy in the 1600′s!!
http://www.wargs.com/other/ali.html
Every human being if he/she goes back 10 generations has 1024 people living at the time who had a hand in their creation.
This site thus misses a great number of his ancestors but it shows the diverse paths life can take in forming a human being such as you and me.