You Have a Right to be Here

When fires burn
When streets are blocked by bodies
When universities ignore walls of hate
When toxic voices call for death

I write of the sky, of the earth, of the sea
how they persevere, how one needs the other
I write of cooperation, of empathy
how we are all human beings 

doing the best we can
how we can learn from each other
through communication & open minds
I retreat to poetry

reading & writing what connects us
rejecting what divides us
There’s too much hate in the world 
right now

I won’t participate, I won’t be influenced 
I’ll read & write poetry
of humanness & leave harsh words
to others

Today’s prompt is to explain why you are a poet. I didn’t keep strictly to all the parameters but, as all writers know, what you intend to write often results in another thing altogether.

The title comes from the poem “Desiderata” which I first read as a teen. It made a big impression on me, as it did to many others at the time. I even had it as a poster on my bedroom wall. The 60s & 70s were also a time of political and social upheaval. There were demonstrations but I don’t remember the sustained level of hate and destruction we are seeing currently. Hippies were generally peaceful and open to discussion. Many people don’t seem to want to talk to the other side now. Sad.

My “Something Small, Every Day (or so)” series is inspired by Austin Kleon’s piece here where he says, “Building a body of work (or a life) is all about the slow accumulation of a day’s worth of effort over time.”