Thursday, September 29, 2011

If You Really Knew Me...


If you really knew me
It would not matter that my skin was white
Or black
Or brown
Or yellow
Or red
Or pink
Or blue with green polka dots.

If you really knew me
It would not matter that I drive a Mercedes-Benz
Or a beat up pickup truck with no air conditioning or radio.
You wouldn’t care if my home was a mansion
Or the alley behind the post office.
You would not care about the tattoos all over my body
Or the crew cut haircut I love to wear.

If you really knew me
It would not matter that I spoke English
Or Japanese
Or Hindi
Or Spanish
Or Swahili.

If you really knew me
You would not care that I was lazy,
Or an atheist,
Slept around,
Cheated on my taxes,
Stripped for a living,
Or shot up heroin.
You would not even care if I was a fundamentalist Christian
Or a radical Muslim. 

If you really knew me
You would understand that the anger and rage I take out on you
Is not about you.
It’s about me—my experiences,
My traumas,
My pains,
Being expressed in the only way I know how.

If you really knew me
You would acknowledge me for who I am—
A being full of light,
And love,
And joy!
You would see my perfection
And would not seek to change me
Or control me.
You would know my life journey is about
My own personal growth and evolution.

You would honor me,
Just as I honor you,
If you really knew me.

~Cindy Shippy Evans

No comments:

Post a Comment