Outward

Sand, coarse and hot runs through my fingers,

Blending seamlessly with others of their kind,

This endless sea of granulated wonder.

Alike, of similar origins, living in their same world;

Not so unlike the vastness of our own terrarium.

Under the skin, are not our similarities overwhelming,

Blood, bone, tissue, mineral, hopes, dreams, ambitions,

Born, living and dying as we all must, it is not a choice,

Nor an option given to us at first breath.

Look hard around you,

Oh, how the tricks of the eye are so convincing,

Seeing only that which is physical.

What does this tell of the being?

What of their hearts, their souls,

Their minds, their aspirations,

Their pain and suffering?

Nothing! For the eye is a fool,

Easily leading and misleading the mind,

Diverting maliciously from another’s essence,

Their true being and all that is important.

The shallowness of outward impressions limits us,

Preventing us from knowing, befriending, understanding.

Ignorance feeds us foremost,

Our temporal gluttony gorges us,

Making us something less than human,

With our flawed vision of what should be.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Prejudice in the 21st Century

You look on appalled and concerned

Just as I look at you.

Maybe he’s out for walk,

Bird watching,

Enjoying the sun or the weather.

Oh no, that can not be,

We haven’t seen him before!

Where did he come from?

Where is he going?

He must be up to no good.

Casing the joint,

Looking to rob us,

Rape our women,

Set fire to our homes,

Surely he must be a criminal,

He does not belong here!

But why incredulous?

He doesn’t look like us,

His type doesn’t live in this neighborhood.

He’s the wrong color,

Certainly he must be muslim

Or gay,

Or dealing drugs to our kids

And hates this country.

This is the twenty-first century,

Haven’t we moved beyond our prejudice?

Shamefully…

No!

Hateful glances say no,

Joblessness says no,

Homelessness says no,

Hearts and minds say no,

Ignorance still exists,

The year,

The decade,

The century matters not.

In correctness some bite their tongues,

But their medieval minds dictate.

Thoughts expressed through actions,

Conversations held in the shadows,

The like-minded nodding in approval.

So little have we progressed,

Claims of enlightenment ring hollow.

Baseless assumptions poisoning us,

Fear used as justification,

Repetition brainwashing the ignorant.

When will it end,

This perpetuation of hate,

Cloaked as patriotism, religion,

Our constitutional right?

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~