What came before
A poem (from my book Murmurations)
What came before moves in me Is not something to be expelled Cannot be harnessed It is as wild, unpredictable and perilous as the ocean Whenever I think this life, these choices, this path is mine alone My spiritual, karmic, generational inheritance swells in me telling me there is no such thing as Tabula Rasa I am a palimpsest the hurt and wonder of artists, peasants, revolutionaries etched onto my bones echoes of their prayers their nightmares their deepest most secret wants resound in my every breath I write with their blood as well as my own And this is not a revelation not a restraint or the antithesis of free will it is the living memory of everyone I have ever loved and everyone they have ever loved all the way back to Eve
Sarah, your poem is breathtakingly powerful! A poignant weaving of ancestry, identity and the deep currents of history that flow through us all. The imagery of being a palimpsest, carrying the etched stories of those who came before you, is both haunting and beautiful. It reminds me how deeply interconnected we are, tied to generations of love, struggle and resilience.
The way you honour the living memory of your ancestral lineage is reverential, and pairing this with such an intimate photo of your family makes it even more moving. Thank you so much for sharing such a personal and universal reflection. This really is a gift for your readers! I feel so privileged to witness this poetic expression of your soul and ancestral heritage.
I like this tribute to all those who have pitched in over the millennia to help us become who we are. It is good to bear in mind that though we see ourselves as individuals (or individuations of Universal Spirit), we are ultimately and intimately connected forwards and backwards.
Thanks.