Words Our Flesh
Sit here with me.
I want to tell you
the stories of your
ancestors.
Make sure you are comfortable–
this is a long story
and it must be told slowly,
exactly as it was given.
This story goes back
a long, long way
and I will tell it to you
the way it was told to me.
You must learn to tell it too.
Some of it is heroic,
Some of it is sad.
Some of it is funny, some hard to hear.
Once told
this story
will explain
you.
We have told this story
to our children from the beginning of time.
You must tell it to your children.
Don’t leave anything out.
Every word the same.
That’s how we call
the old ones back
to live with us forever.
© Patrick O’Neill 2010. All rights reserved
