Dear Great-Great-Great Grandfather

You were born in Strasbourg
in 1821
at least
that's what this website says
and if I do my math
correctly
that was 164 years
before I arrived
on a lightning strike
somewhere else

So tell me something
great-great-great
grandfather
what was it all for?
I'm sure you baked cakes
and farmed
and ate sausage
but where are you now?
what did you learn?
and how would I know?

Maybe it was you
or probably more likely your children
that got on a boat
one day
and went from one pile of mud
to another
where I intervened
shortly thereafter
when the cirumstances
were deemed
acceptable

Well great-great-great
grandfather
I'm sitting here in air condition
not baking any cakes
though I could
or eating any sausage
but there's a store down the street
that sells some
no farming
necessary

Was this
what it was all for?
great-great-great
grandfather?
These little privileges?
I guess we'd both
like to hope so
because you're long dead
long, long dead

and I don't plan on visiting
Strasbourg
anytime
soon.