Do you smile like your auntie?

Because I think we inherit some of our history

in ancient gestures from the family registry

generational coordinations of hair tucked behind ears

great gulps of air to face irrational fears

annoyance expressed in impatiently tapped feet

the tendency to say “eh?” on repeat

sleeping postures like question marks

raspy laughs that sounds like barks

nostrils that twitch with guilty lies

pauses punctuated by tragic sighs

tics from an uncle or even Grok from the cave

these gestures tend to come from beyond the grave

and if we were to trace the history of each

how far behind do you think we’d reach?

besides how much further could these gestures go

a sing-song yawn from Kuku aunty in a bionic being we’ll never know?

but if you walk past someone with a smile like your own

it’s safe to assume that wild oats were sown