Family Poems

Today's Black Family

We come from all corners of the earth
Rising above deep waters of fear
Overcoming the highest mountains of obstacles
Rich in courage, strength and love
We are the image of those who have come before us
We are the vision of their dreams
And the pride of their hearts
We are the fathers of character, knowledge and integrity
We are the mothers of comfort, beauty, wisdom and faith
We are the children of innocence and the hope of the next generation,
Whose future is filled with choice
We are unique people manifested by the abundance of God's power
And glorified through His spirit
We are Today's Black Family

Author: Stephanie Evans
(Essence Magazine, 2001)

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Black Family Reunion Pledge
By Maya Angelou

Because we have forgotten our ancestors our children no longer give us honor.

Because we have lost the path our ancestors cleared, kneeling in perilous undergrowth, our children cannot find their way.

Because we have banished the God of our ancestors, our children can not pray.

Because the long wails of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing, our children cannot hear us crying.

Because we have abandoned our wisdom of mothering and fathering, our befuddled children give birth to children they neither want nor understand.

Because we have forgotten how to love, the adversary is within our gates, and holds us up to the mirror of the world, shouting, Regard the loveless.

Therefore, we pledge to bind ourselves again to one another;
To embrace our lowliest,
To keep company with our loneliest,
To educate our illiterate,
To feed our starving,
To clothe our ragged,
To do all good things, knowing that we are more than keepers of our brothers and sisters. We are our brothers and sisters.

In honor of those who toiled and implored God with golden tongues, and in gratitude to the same God who brought us out of hopeless desolation,

We make this pledge.

 

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Ensuring Our Future
By Emma Jean Downing
 

One of the reasons for holding a family reunion is so that we can pay tribute to those who came before us.  It is important that we do not forget the lessons of the past. The suffering and the successess of our ancestors have given us the knowledge and the strength we must have to survive the future.

While Family reunions are a time to remember the past, they also allow us to look forward to the future. By involving the younger generation in planning reunions, we pass on the pride of our heritage. In between the hugs and the kisses, the laughter, and the games, the food, and the photographs, we must make certain that our young people understand the importance of why we are gathering.

  Fun                                      Reacquainted

 Amusement                           Enjoyment
 Memories                              United
 Indulge                                 Neighboring

 Lively                                    Inviting
 Yearning                                Overjoyed
                                              Needed

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My Family Tree

Many people are in my family tree,
Yesterday's ancestors are brought to life by me.

Far and near, my kinfolks come together,
A gathering for great fun and memories forever.
Multitudes of people joining in to share,
In time of death or time of fun, we show we care.
Living a long time ago or in current times,
Young and old relatives are all genuine.

The new generation have it made,
Rewarded with the path our ancestors laid,
Everyone is special, every girl, boy, woman, and man
Each one is needed to fit into God's plan.

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"Family Reunion"

 

F un, food, and family,

A ll enjoying each other company.

M ost of the family members are present.

I t is nice to be together,

L eaving memories as they go.

Y earning to meet relatives you don't know.

 

R eunited once again,

E verybody getting reacquainted as they smile and greet,

U nknown relatives they are yet to meet.

N o one is excluded, no one left behind,

I n this grand celebration everyone's on time.

O rganize in unity and functioning as a whole.

N ever end this event, there are plenty of stories yet to be told.

 

Author: Emma J. Downing

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The Family Tree

 

Why do they call it a Family Tree?

My child curiously asked of me.

I thought for a moment, and then tried to explain.

How generations go on...their lives not in vain.

 

From roots buried deeply beneath the earth

Come the very foundation of our family's birth.

Each root brings its own gift to help form the tree.

As Our Ancestors each left their legacy.

 

The trunk of the tree is our very core

Holding life...love...and so much more.

Home base to return to when life gets too rough.

Support and acceptance when the world gets too tough.

 

From the trunk other branches grow,

Forming the beautiful tree that we know.

Each limb is different...each plays a role,

Different strengths...yet sharing one soul.

 

If one branch is broken, the tree feels the pain,

Sap runs like tears until it heals again.

Families, like branches, spread out from the tree.

But, part of them remains through eternity.

 

Like leaves caught up in a gust of wind

Carried away...some come home again

Nestling around the base of the tree.

Close to the Roots that gave life selflessly.

 

 

 

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The Family Tree.

I think I shall never see

the finish of a family tree.

As it forever seems to grow

from roots that started long ago

way back in ancient history times,

in foreign land and distant climes.

From them grew a trunk and branching limbs,

that dated back to times so dim.

One seldom knows exactly when

the parents met and married then,

nor when the twigs began to grow

with odd named children row on row...

though verse like this is made by me,

the end's in sight as you can see.

"Tis not the same with family tree

that grow and grow through centuries!

!!!

!!!

!!!

!!!

!!!

 

 

 

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"OUR ROOTS"

 

O ur ancestors are not forgotten.

U nity of families will last,

R econnecting with their past,

 

R emembering the years of long ago,

O ften seeking information to know,

O ur ancestors life from coast to coast.

T raveling a hundred years back,

S earching for kin and staying on track.

 

 

Author: Emma J. Downing

 

 

 

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Prayer For Genealogists

 

Lord, help me dig into the past, and sift the sands of time, that I might find the roots that made this family tree mine.

 

Lord, help me trace the ancient roads, on which my father trod, and led them through so many lands, to find our present sod.

 

Lord, help me find an ancient book, or dusty manuscript, that's safety hidden away, in some forgetten crypt,

 

Lord, let it bridge the gap that haunts my soul, when I can't find the missing link between some name that ends the same as mine.

 

 

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Family Tree For A Family Reunion

 

It

takes

work to be-

come a family

and even more to

stay that way. Being and

staying a family is getting

harder everyday in times like

these when everyone wants to go

their own way. Staying a close family

can only happen if we pray. When each of

our family shows that they really care, only good

things happen and we each will stay free from fear.

There is strength in numbers and this will always be

where there is real love! Christ will keep Satan from you and

me. If my love is real and your love is true then nothing in this

world can come between me and you. Being and staying a family

takes lots of time, sacrifice and hard work, but with Christ leading us, all

things  will be fine. Keep

each  of your families be-

fore God  in   prayer  and

when  something  goes 

wrong, remember to keep

them  there.  Satan is go-

ing to test each of us and He's never going to leave us alone, but if we

keep God's love all around us, our families will stay free from Satan's storms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Family

 

God made us family.

We need each other.

We work together and play together.

We worship together and use God's word together.

Together we grow in Christ and learn to love all men.

Together we serve our God and seek to know His will.

These are our hopes and ideals.

Lord, we ask for grace to attain them. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Family Reunion Prayer

 

"Father, we think thee for the privilege of being together as a family.

"Father, as the generations grow farther apart, let them be brought together with the memory of the loved ones who were once with us, but now live only in our memories.

"Father, strengthen the bond of relationship as we face the future, but always keep with us our ties of the past." Amen

 

 

 

 

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Family Reunion Blessing

 

Lord, bless the family that I love and comfort them each day,

as daytime turns to nighttime, please bring them peace, I pray.

When morning comes tomorrow, let all their cares be small,

guide them with your wisdom, Lord, bless them one and all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Family Reunion Toast

 

"We toast our memories of grandparents, parents, brothers, sister, sons, daughters, wife's and husbands. We once were reunited for a time, now reliving our shared past. Everything that happened played its part in shaping us, we remember who they were. We also honor those who taught and encouraged us. We remember relatiives those with us, those who couldn't make it, and those who are no longer with us. Dear family, lift your glasses with me our relatives. May we always remember with gratitude their part in making us what we are today." (Drink) :)

 

 

 

 

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