Fear

I put my son down to sleep.
He says “Mommy, I am so scared.”
When he was younger, of course,
He feared lions and tigers and bears.
The worst thing he could imagine,
Was a monster under the bed.
I still tell him, “Baby, don’t worry.”
But that leaves so much unsaid.
In fact, there’s so much to be afraid of,
I don’t even know where to start.
And knowing he, too, inhabits this world,
It utterly breaks my heart.
Young children, grown children, all of us,
We all deserve better than this.
And even if the world won’t change overnight,
Could we simply start with kindness?
Humanity is shared by all people,
Those who look and think different than you.
And if you are willing to open your mind,
That means a chance to learn something new.
New ideas and new perspectives,
Experiences beyond all those that you’ve known.
At our core we’re all more alike than not,
So why can’t compassion be shown?
What if we led with curiosity?
Empathy before needing to be right.
Then maybe we wouldn’t have to be so scared,
Each time something goes bump in the night.
Why default to supremacy culture?
Make the heart talk to the head.
See beauty and friend in all people.
Not hatred, choose love instead.