High winds driving waves
Toward rocky shores
Islands of idiocy
Bays of bigotry
Fueled by fears for countless years
Led by lies that divide
Ill intent on it’s side
to dominate and collide
with all that is good
breaking families
and neighborhoods
Power and money are the goals
that cast our boats upon these shoals
Our task at hand is to repair
wounded hearts in every lair
Why would one want to wound another?
Why do choices upset and bother?
When no-one is hurt by anyone’s actions,
why not ignore them and their factions?
Let them be if you don’t agree.
Perhaps the key is not to believe
everything that you hear or read
There are ways to find the truth
Dig deeply, become a sleuth
Examine the evidence, then decide
and peacefully choose to reside
with tolerance, goodwill thus enhance
Loving-kindness give a chance
Well-being is based on the good of all
Otherwise we build a wall
And live inside separate and cut off
Opportunities are lost
Is it worth the cost
of clinging to beliefs
that only bring us and others grief?
Step out bravely
Own your fears
Let go and reach out
Shed your tears
We need each other now more than ever
To find solutions we must work together
Mother Earth is aching from our neglect
Pollution now eject
Floods and fires
Greed and desires
Change our ways
Or we will perish in this blaze
Think of our children
How will they live
in the ashes of our stupidity?
Alarms have sounded in every camp
All systems we must now revamp
Release your anger without harm
Forgive yourself, hatred disarm
And know...
You are safe
You are precious
You are loved
You are a vital link in the chain of life
That is only strong when there is no strife
Compassion and empathy
will guide our path with sympathy
If we allow it we can see past
our condemnation of deviation
And then seek reconciliation.
We are making history
each moment of every day
We all want to be free,
treated respectfully
Include every human,
all creatures, all life
In this great union
Huge potential for us to awaken
into a love creation
Let kindness be our foundation
Celebrate our variations
A new world create
Where peace and love
obviate war and hate
A new creed born based on goodness
for all life loving-kindness
Opening our hearts,
cure our blindness
This reality can only be
when we live in harmony
Within ourselves
Toward each other
With all of nature, our precious mother
This is a great work for us to achieve
I believe
we will join hands
As we wake up
to certainty
that all our lives depend on this
sacred trust for
our sacred lands.
Note: This poem was inspired by Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” that she read at the US President’s Inauguration.