[Persecution- to me-
is anything that allows anyone
to be disallowed
of anything that…
their freedom
should naturally bring.]
And if anything
were truer
(truer than truth),
let it be known that
the truest thing
is that never before
have we abhorred
the apprehension
of learning things.
In hindsight we've seen
the meaning of mean
is ignorance and
unfamiliarity.
In hindsight, we've thought
we wish
we were not,
but we regret if were ever were…
a bigot to him, a bigot to them,
a bigot to him
or to her.
Persecution- to me-
is nothing, indeed,
but persecution to all of our souls
whether it he, or whether it she,
or whether it me, I suppose.
Persecution- to me-
is something, indeed,
but I wish it were nothing; and those
who've bigoted s/he have bigoted me
and they've hated themselves, I suppose
Only because
I believe that it's true
that we all have a right
to believe…
that we all have our rights.
We all have our rights!
And though we all have our right
to perceive,
let us believe
that everyone's free,
and remember the times we were not.
Let us receive
a hindsighted view
and let it be never forgot
Let us believe
that everyone's free
and not relive
the times when
we were not.
To the descendants of the once persecuted Pilgrims, and to the descendants of the once persecuted Jews, and to the descendants of the once persecuted African slaves, and to the descendants of the once persecuted Christians, and to all the descendants of any group of people who were once treated unfairly… This poem is dedicated to all those descendants who have, for some reason, chosen to persecute a new set of individuals. May we all finally see we're one.