Do you ever wonder why, in a world that offers so many opportunities to understand from all the sources of information available, that the will to tolerate and understand seem to be at an all time low?
Where are our listening hearts?
Let neither creed not colour be
A reason to divide
And neither let race segregate
Across the globe worldwide
But more so seek the common thread
Of love, of truth, of peace
To weave life’s richest tapestry
Complete without a crease
And join in pleasing harmony
That sings with one accord
That resonates diversity
Our differences applaud
Over counter objectives
Oust xenophobic view
Dispelling prejudice mindset
As unity shines through
Bigoted boy
With your views all awry
No compassion nor care
So much hatred – I cry
So much venom in young blood
So much failure to see
The bigger picture in life
Lacking integrity
For your judgements disclose
Discrimination and more
Prejudice, contempt, meanness
A heart that is poor
That lacks real understanding
A spirit that’s broke
That’s cruel and unworthy
That throttles and chokes
That hurts the world and her people
For bigoted boy
Your tactics just stink
Don’t build up but destroy
For they damn any hope
Any truth; any love
And miss the altitudes view
When we look from above!
So take just a moment
To think if you will
To step back and consider
With less dogma still
And know that perfection
Just doesn’t exist
As your bigotry’s proved
Now ain’t that the twist!
Never judge a book
By the jacket that it wears
Never let first impressions
Hardwire your thoughts right there
Never miss a second look
In case you fail to see
A hidden gem, a ray of light
For discriminatingly
You may just miss the best in life
Presume; misunderstand
So walk with; get to know each one
Before you cast the hand
Of judgement less you flounder
For then all you perceive
Is your projections, inner thoughts
Prejudice and beliefs
Don’t patronise. Don’t speak down to
Don’t snub or deign to be
All condescending. Tossing crumbs
Treating her so badly
Because ‘you’ do not think she is
Like you in any way
Or cos she simply acts and thinks
Differently per se
For how she looks, how she behaves
Is really no excuse
For you to bully her so much
And give her your abuse
For in this world of many sorts
Your judgement and your curse
Serves only to twist in a knife
And turn things bad to worse
So instead celebrate each one
Enjoy diversity
And do not mock or jeer at those
With disabilities.
And understand the plight of those
Who suffer stigma too
From mental illness for it could
So easily be you
He said “it’s only words”
He said “I didn’t lay a finger on you”
He said “but calling names don’t hurt me”
She said “always words”
She said “a blow to my head”
She said “it hurts”
Standing at the gateway of tomorrow and contemplating
Contemplating the heinous crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity bereaving the world of her soul
Her soul lost in the dusk of yesterday
In the dusk of yesterday and the night of the day before
The day before where division has stripped backs raw
Backs raw and the hides torn apart
Torn apart bleeding rivers of tears
Rivers of tears burning from the heart
And yet in the embers of those flames why have we not learnt
Not learnt the lessons of yesterday
Yesterday and vanquished humanity where tomorrow’s sun dims
Tomorrow’s sun dims and cannot rise above the horizon
The horizon where hope lies abandoned by the deeds of people
The deeds of people that still wound the planet and suffocate
Suffocate her breath, deprive her people tomorrow
Tomorrow slain by today and yesterday
Standing at the gateway of tomorrow and contemplating
slavery (Photo credit: derpunk)
From the cradle to the grave
Impart a creed of love
Teach fairness and teach tolerance
With peace combined thereof
And don’t let colour of a skin
Nor disability
Sit in the seat of judgement where
The truth is hard to see
Don’t rush to brash assumption
Nor empower a path of blame
But turn away from hatred
Lest all else that might inflame
And light a fire within your heart
One that considers all
With outreach, empathy and hope
Unite the freedom call
Freedom (Photo credit: Kliefi)
Treat him like an object and
You’ll find he will behave
Without a heart, or mind or soul
No conscience to then pave
A way that will be of respect
Filled so responsibly
So treat him like a subject and
A human being see!
Give him a name – don’t call him boy
Don’t mark him out to jeer
Discriminate about his life
Or shout right down his ear
Don’t mock him for his family
Or comment on his worth
But treat him well and you will find
He’ll walk tall on this earth
For how we speak – how we approach
All children makes them know
Just who they are, who they can be
And where they might then go
And make a difference to their world
The way themselves they view
So Teacher, Parent or just Friend
Treat them as though they’re you!
Your words chafe my soul as if with a knife
That plunges its blade in my heart
Such opinions bite hard and hand out more pain
Such judgement overwhelms to depart
Your prejudice sears like a third degree burn
Discriminating you purge any calm
Your venomous anger and sharpness of tongue
Takes joy from my life to do harm
But my prayer goes to you with openness whole
To wish so deep peace safe to say
To trust that you’ll find the contentment you yearn
With compassion and love on the way
Save understanding and hope that wells up from the seat
Of being at one after all
I bid you forgiveness and pray you’ll move on
Renewed by life’s fresh waterfall
The fresh waterfall washing over with grace
To heal like a balm; to release
To inspire and create a subscription to love
With empathy and so to with peace
And I pray you will drink from these waters again
Lest your words may drain life right away
And hope you’ll encapsulate freshness anew
To shine out pure goodness each day
Divine Machines (Photo credit: hersheydesai)
Ginz&Tonic 