as when the skies shed tears of rain
and gain the glorious rainbow
as souls in russia currently in pain
for wearing rainbow-colored jackets
as baby chickens squeezed onto
conveyor belts of mass consumption
as ones who live in lands of lack
yet don’t complain like those in lands of bounty
as humble whisperers of prophecies
ignored until long after death, supported after
as teachers who place checkmarks on themselves
and let the students learn through their own rhythms
as kinship-seekers whose goals dub them
ignorant preachers by the ones
who catch reflections of their own
self-righteous natures in those would-be friends
as sores inflicted by abuse
as earth’s own mine caves blasted as a ruse
to shine attention on the gold and diamonds
away from holes that perforate every day conscience
as fortitude that suffers back slaps
from yea-sayers to popularized weakness
intents of fear that call themselves
honesty and freedom of speech
as patients who endure the sting of leeches
as readers who’ve observed
some characters of books in persecution
still choosing to describe that ‘irritating’ wisdom
as those with consciousness who can’t relate
to jagged vibes, though they sure try
as all of these, so you and i
deserve that hard-to-come-by empathy