THE LIST MAKER

Columbus’s son, Hernando,
Was a maker of lists.
He saw what his father did,
And what happened to him, up close.
He kept a record.
He decided he would make a library,
Filled with not just the greatest works of his age,
But also the writing and art of poet’s, philosophers, scientists and artisans
From places where he travelled.
Many people you’ve never heard of
And maybe some you have.
The spirit, voice, and thinking of his time.
Frustrated by injustice everywhere,
He tried to bring together,
A record of who we really were,
With all our flaws and wickedness,
Our longing for clarity and higher purpose,
Our wisdom and confusion,
Our attempts at love, our fatal addictions,
In one place.
Maybe this would set the record straight.
We are human,
Fated with choice,
Motivated by our past,
Pulled by our future,
And hopelessly obsessed with love.