Learn from History

Most times, when we learn from history, we learn from its mistakes
About the falls, about the slips, about the cracks and about the breaks
"This is the ego that lost the battle, that made the empire fall"
But let us not forget that there is more that we must call historical

We do not record in ancient tomes the smiles shared on a weary morning
And while I think that it is right that we write down all the tragedy and mourning
It should not be eccentric to look at jokes and parties and songs and plays
Or appreciate the leaps inventions had to take even if commonplace today

If we do not appreciate how smart and brilliant our ancestors have been
We may fall into the folly of ego by thinking of our ourselves with a sheen
I do not think it is purely doom to repeat that which is done in the past
Though care should be taken to ensure any repeated step is not our last

Progress is fantastic, but when we ponder why such progress was not made before
Let us find a real answer, such as the difference in technology or prevalence of war
Not simply that it was beyond our parents parents parents parents intellect
Because I've read some of their stories and I'm filled with respect

Simply know that the grandparents of grandparents were not savages
I would loved to share a tale or two despite the difference of our ages
While I'm not ignoring advances in medicine or equality that we've done
I still want to pay my tributes to the steps to help us be who we've become