Ancestor by Jim Boring is a haunting reflection on strength and survival, immortalized in the stern gaze of a pioneer woman. The poem paints a vivid portrait of a woman whose life was shaped by the harsh realities of frontier life, including the violent loss of loved ones. Her steely eyes and hardened expression, frozen in time by a photograph, bear witness to the struggles she endured--bathing children in the Ohio River, tending to the wounded, and facing the brutal aftermath of conflict. Even after nearly 170 years, her presence looms large, a silent guardian of her lineage, embodying the fierce will to protect and endure. This poem resonates with the echoes of a turbulent past, confronting us with the relentless power of memory and the unyielding nature of maternal strength.