Saturday, August 1, 2020

All Lives Matter

Yes, all lives matter!
Black lives matter,
they have blessed us with
Rhythms of jazz
And mournful spirituals.
They excel in sports
And are the source of resilience 
that has carried a people
Through centuries of bondage.

But white lives matter, too.
Too early they assumed 
that power and privilege
Belonged to them alone.
They were wrong, of course.
But their curiosity has driven us all
To explore to the ends 
of the earth -
And beyond!
Hamburgers and french fries 
have gone with us!

Yellow lives also matter.
In a tranquil mood.
They’ve presented us
With chop suey,
Fried rice and 
fortune cookies,
And decorated our world
With the simple beauty
 Of Oriental poetry,
Pottery, and script.

Red lives matter.
Our nation's first inhabitants
Are now nearly extinct.
But they’ve left us their history
In tales of their courage 
And lifestyle of cooperation
With creation which could
Enrich our own lives
At this very moment. 

Yes, all lives matter because
They were all made
In the image of God.
We’ll never know 
what color God is
Whether black or white,
Yellow or red,
Polka dot, striped or plaid -
But, all made in the image 
of our Creator,
None of us is better or worse
Than any other,
Nor wiser than our 
Divine pattern!


8/1/2020 - mshr