My Ancestry Poem by Astell Collins

I was neglected not just because
But for a divine and appointed cause
I had to be groomed by the master
And not by a man who was a quitter

I was exposed to a love never hidden
So I have decided to live my life fully driven
South Africa existed before I was born
And will be here long after I am gone

At the very heart of civilization
The dawn of my history begun with an African
Who was he to me?
Though ignorant of our relations, I know he is my ancestry