How the People Got Their Origins

It's hard to be
A people without
An origin myth—

A real people
Must be a people
Apart from people

Who are not part
Of their true people,
The solid people

Myths have in mind.
In the world, it’s shared
Experience—shared

Ostracism,
Bondage, mockery
By other peoples—

Made this people,
Shaped their character—
Journeys and sojourns,

Now and again
Bloody victories—
These assembled them.

Experience,
However, is not
As strong as essence,

Shared origin.
So, once a people
Become a people,

They have to claim,
Retroactively,
A special story

Of assembly,
Of essence they’ve staked
As unique to them,

And that’s the reason
All peoples make myths
Of origin.