Ancestry, mystery of one's core
Great-Grandfather, mentor, patriarch
carver of carousel horses
adorned with colors
of an artist's palette
inspiration for generations to flourish

Across torrent waters
of a vast ocean
he begets his progeny
the artist's palette
settles into the hands of my father

He, out of many siblings
inherits the consummate gene
glued to his canvass
like a musician embraces his harp
he brushes landscapes feverishly
rolling green farmland
against a vast turquoise sky
oils of color that stretch to the earth's crust

Ancestry lines smack me in the face
I envy my father's talent
luck and patience speaks as
I unearth my own
painting and poetry
an ancestral reality
grateful for the gentle horse carver