The Good Ancestor by Daverick Leggett

Every day I walk a hundred years

to the hill where my great great granddaughter sits.

I carry words of blessing

and reach to touch her back.

But feeling me near she turns

sad eyed and heavy with grief

“What was it like?” she asks

“when the great whales swam

when the birds sang you awake

when the rains came soft

and the soil smelt sweet underfoot?”

And the blessings

catch in my throat.

On darker days she turns,

her famished face charred and eyes,

sunk in their bony orbits,

burn with curses.

And the blessings

froth at my mouth

with the poisonous

spume of betrayal.

On the darkest of all days

I walk the hundred years

and find no one there.

Let today be the bright day.

Let today be the bright day

I lay my hand upon her back

And, feeling me near, she turns

and blesses me, saying

“Your love was fierce enough,

sweet ancestor,

your love was fierce enough.

How Can We Be Good Ancestors? Self-Reflection from the book The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric

This is a self-reflection from the book The Good Ancestor- A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking by Roman Krznaric. It’s based on the six ways of thinking long that the author recommends.

Deep-Time Humility:
What have been your most profound experiences of deep time, and how did they affect you?

Intergenerational Justice:
What, for you, are the most powerful reasons for caring about future generations?

Legacy Mindset:
What legacy to you want to leave for your family, your community, and for the living world?

Transcendent Goal:
What do you think should be the ultimate goal of the human species?

Holistic Forecasting:
Do you anticipate a future of civilizational breakdown, radical transformation, or a different pathway?

Cathedral Thinking:
What long-term projects could you pursue with others to extend beyond your own lifetime?