So many times, we are pushed to look at contemporary work because it’s new and innovative. Yet, we forget that there would not be anything we consider modern without the classics first having paved the way for the rest of the literary world. The classics and artists of the past deserve our reverence and appreciation for their contributions. They were the first to be bold and unafraid. It was in their voices and stories that many of us first found hope, love, and faith. We must continue to listen and use their gifts to help us forge our own path. 

 

Ancients of Old

 

We walk in their shadows, 

The Ancients of old —

Histories and memories

Of stories untold. 

 

They’re giants among us, 

with large shoes to fill. 

Yet still we toil, 

rolling the stone up the hill. 

 

Echoes of voices

That replay in our minds.

Itching to come out,

And find a new life.

 

We seek their wisdom

Light in the dark. 

Hoping to unburden

Secrets in our heart. 

 

And so we look 

to the fathers of words 

with hope, reverence, and longing. 

That understanding will come. 

 

Then people will listen

as the words flow,

like they once did 

To the Ancients of old. 

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Citation Information

Iris Zamora, “Ancients of Old,” An Unexpected Journal: The Ancients 4, no. 3. (Fall 2021), 37-40.

Direct Link: https://anunexpectedjournal.com/ancients-of-old/

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