Sam Jones

Honors- Lit.

Period 1

“Where I’m From” Poem- Time Traveler

11-20-10

The “Peoples of the Felt Tent”

I’m from the first cavalry,

From strong military might,

And an empire covering Asia.

From fighting for land and goods,

Valuing life.

I’m from great leaders,

Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.

From a small people,

Who conquered the empires of the world.

I’m from felt tents,

Called Yurts,

I’m from nomadic people,

Moving constantly.

I’m from the Asian Steppes,

From paper money,

“White food” and “Brown food”,

From caftans and Buddhism.

I’m from a sprawling empire,

The largest ever on land,

With the Silk Road connecting

Beijing and Constantinople.

I’m from the spreading of the Black Death,

The Black Plague,

Through the stretching paths of trade.

I’m from the creation of germ warfare.

I’m from battle,

Combating the cold, leading invasions,

From Xi Xia to Caffa.

Fighting, expanding

Was daily life.

I’m from being outnumbered,

But faster, more mobile

Than my enemy.

From strategies and weapons,

That won fight after fight.

I’m from nomads,

Battle and war,

From a massive empire,

And lengthy trade routes.

I am the people of the felt tents,

The Mongols.