A Slave to the Past

History holds lessons that are

Vital to all understanding.

Sometimes poignant and demure,

Often tragic and demanding.

 

Duty bids us pay attention

To the subtle messages that

Cross the path of wisdom’s truth

In all its’ shapes and vestiges

To carry forth with confidence that

What was then applies to now,

That judgements may be better served

From fertile furrows erstwhile ploughed.

 

But in an ever-changing world

Where knowledge deepens as it grows

The choices seem to multiply

Or take the stage in different clothes.

 

The humble bow in quiet assent,

The meek retreat and acquiesce

But thoughtful souls of brilliance

Put the question through the acid test.

To learn the lessons of the past

Is smart and bright and brave.

Affix the facts to circumstance

And never be a slave. 

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