Everyone they know
Hates someone from
The other side,
Yet they come together,
Make friends,
Share stories,
Discover how much
They have in common.
What a difference
Between the person who
Feels the suffering
Of another human being
And the one who can’t,
Or won’t.
What dissimilar
Paths they travel and
Worlds create,
One caring,
The other harsh, cruel.
One hopes people
Understand the
Difference between
Using one’s voice
To protect the vulnerable
And screeching to
Keep someone down.
People who believe
War is unavoidable
Inevitably cause
Ongoing strife
Even thought it’s
Been demonstrated
Innumerable times
That human beings have
An infinite ability
To behave with
Kindness and compassion.
Power warps the ordinary
Human mind to such a degree that
It’s rare to find someone who
Ascends to great heights
Yet remains able to feel
The suffering of millions
Who desperately need help,
A compassionate radical who
Understands their plight and
Possesses the courage to
Help level the playing field.
It’s easy to enjoy the trappings
Of privilege, quite another to
Use your position to make the
World a better place.
A seed blows in
From some unseen
Place and finds a
Spot where it’s needed.
A little time passes,
Peace and love
Bloom everywhere.
He grew up in a
Horribly abusive family,
Passed around from
One ghastly relative to
Another, surrounded by
Chaos and violence
No matter where he went.
Eventually channeled into
The foster care system,
He lived with several
Families that seemed to
Have other things in mind
Other than really loving and
Caring for children like him.
Now in his forties,
He’s successful beyond
His wildest dreams, and
Does everything in
His power to make sure
No one has to go through
What he did.
Every time I see how
Little is covered on my
Health insurance policy
For such a preposterous
Amount of money,
I’m reminded of how
Much better everything
Would be if I could
Bypass these corporate leeches,
Go to any doctor, get
Any procedure done, and
Just have it billed to
Medicaid or some other
Program funded by me and my
Fellow citizens because
We all care for each other and
Believe in the common good
Rather than ordinary greed.
Peace requires a
Bit more thought
Than blindly lashing out,
Stepping on another
Human being for personal gain,
Craving some fleeting sense of
Safety, superiority.
Inside each of us is
The wherewithal to
Heal ourselves so we may
Love others.
