We Can Be Good

I wish laughter were enough in this world.

I’d laugh away the insults collecting like dust,

unseen, brushed off at first

until the hate piles into a tangible heap.

A once small snide comment

sparks a fury.

That’s when people get hurt. 

We don’t know how to talk to each other anymore.

You were my neighbor, my friend, my family

but someone said we were enemies. 

Why did we listen?

In this world where laughter can hurt,

I pray for connection,

to simply feel your hand in mine,

intertwined

as we both remember it’s up to us to be good.

It starts with us.

It grows with trust. 

It ends with love. 

We can be good, you know.

We can be good parents

raising good humans,

laughing at only the good stuff,

teaching that hate gets us nowhere. 

We can be good

if we choose.

But first we must own when we’re not. 

I am not perfect

and neither are you.

I am not right all the time

and neither are you.

But we both can be good.

I believe in you. 

           –Leanne Rebecca

I read a story posted on Facebook today about a little boy that got made fun of at school for wearing nail polish. Nothing good ever comes out of making fun of someone else. Why do we do it? There is no reward for insulting someone else.

Kids are sponges. They pick up the habits of those around them. Those kids that made fun of that boy saw someone else being a bully first. Our actions today impact the world of tomorrow. Let’s live in a good one.

This poem isn’t a work of art. It isn’t packed with imagery or metaphor. It’s simplistic in tone. It’s hardly my best writing, but the message felt important enough to share. Please be kind to one another. Tolerance means listening. Acceptance means understanding and having an open mind. Please try.