Poem: Generations Of Wisdom

Generations Of Wisdom

Grandfather: Sinclair Gilbert Cannon

Photography: Jetta Marie

Poetry: Jetta Marie

Gratitude Of The Day: The generations of wise men in my family

When I was young,

My Grandfather would sit with me,

And teach me ponder the stars;

He encouraged me to ask questions

Of the universe and world alike,

Yet bestowed on me the wisdom,

Not to offer answers easily.

He taught me how to dream,

How to think for myself, 

And how to never give up learning

Just because no answer was available 

At the present moment I was in.

From him I learned of Past,

And how to build on it for my Future;

In him I found wisdom.

My Father,

Being my Grandfather's child,

brought  similar,

But very different lessons to my view.

Though he did  encourage me to dream,

My father had the challenge 

Of teaching me, 

That dreams cannot emerge

From nothing into something.

 Dreams of greatness have their place,

But They are nothing 

Without the courage to back them

With the hard work it takes

 to make them reality.

My father taught me

To dream,

And how to navigate reality

To make those dreams tangible;

In my father, 

I have found wisdom.

My Brothers,

Though young,

Have the same roots 

As the great men from which they sprang.

In quite moments, 

My oldest brother reminds me

That no matter how big you get,

No matter how tough you think you are,

You always have time for hugs

From the people you hold dear.

He reminds each time I see him,

That there is no excuse 

For being mean to others;

And that a moment to be a kid again

Even if only once in a blue moon,

Can lighten your heart

In ways you did not even know you needed. 

My baby brother, 

Though still learning to understand

The roots of wisdom 

From which he was created,

Reminds me to laugh each day,

And to seek for beauty 

Even if I must look more than twice

To find it under the dust.

Though still a playful youth,

It is awing to me still,

When he smiles his impish grin,

And prompts me to inquire 

Of the " what if's" 

OF the universe around us.

Somewhere, 

Though in a less impish tone,

Those questions of the stars 

Seem all to familiar to me. 

Yet it humbles me to the core,

And send gratitude to every fiber of me

When I ask who taught him to question

on such a profound level,

And all he can say

Is simply put,

"No one had to teach me to dream,

My dearest sister,

I was simply Born to think this way"

In my Grandfather,

I learned wisdom.

In my father, 

I learn it every day.

And in my brothers, 

it will live

And continue,

For all generations to come.