In my family <br />people who were eighty-two were very different <br />from people who were ninety-two <br /> <br />The eighty-two-year-old people grew up <br />it was 1914 <br />this is what they knew <br />WarWorld WarWar <br /> <br />That's why when they speak to the child <br />they say <br />poor little one . . . <br /> <br />The ninety-two-year-old people remember <br />it was the year 1905 <br />they went to prison <br />they went into exile <br />they saidahsoon <br /> <br />When they speak to the grandchild <br />they say <br />yesthere will be revolution <br />then there will be revolutionthen <br />once morethen the earth itself <br />will turn and turn and cry outoh I <br />have been made sick <br /> <br />then youmy little bud <br />must flower and save it<br /><br />Grace Paley<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/people-in-my-family/
