Shrinking the Distance Between Us

Hate that creates distance between us

Must be challenged by all each day.

Name-calling and fear mongering

Is never the correct or moral way.

There cannot be anything so precious to possess,

Not power, love, money, or even fame,

That we are willing to hurt others by

Calling them by an awful, racist and sexist name.

Let us work together across race, gender, and class

In shrinking the distance between us today,

By acknowledging each other’s humanity

And by loving one another in God’s special way.

It means looking past our differences and

Embracing just how much I am just like you,

For, just as you crave to be loved and give love,

That’s my greatest hope in this life, too.

The color of my skin is just incidental, having

To do with where my ancestors were born.

So, don’t let it create a distance between us,

Instead, let us acknowledge that we all are one.

Written for V.J. Knutson’s Challenge #19 on Distance