Saturday, December 6, 2014

Childish things



What if 
instead of his color
we saw first
the two arms,
the two legs,
the two eyes 
of a man

Or a kid
just like us
trying hard 
to be big,
trying not 
to show doubt

What if
the hardness of trying
became a defense
of what our families
had filled us with

What if
instead of his color
we saw our own fear
and alienness
reflected back
like a photo's negative 
held up to the light

What if the shock
made us throw up 
our hands:
caught,
chastened,
shot through
with pain, shame,
mercy

What if #blacklivesmatter 
were #whitepeoplesproblem

What if poems were cover

What if games of pretend
were the law

and empathy became 
policeman to all

2 comments:

Vesper said...

It would truly be a wonderful world... Such a waste... And such a poignant poem, Sarah. xoxoxo

Sarah Hina said...

Thanks, Vesper.