Walking into a restaurant, I am ushered to a seat,
Staring longingly at a food stall, he is shooed off.
My desires are met without missing a beat,
His needs are dismissed with a scoff.
Lounging in my fancy classroom, I complain about the air conditioning,
Sitting on the dirty floor of his classroom, he is glad that there is a board!
At my house, the food waste bin seems to always be overflowing,
While the cooking pot is nearly empty at his abode.
I moan and groan to get what I want,
He is grateful and happy for the little that he has.
I barely have a worry, I face no taunt,
His life, a dark night that seems never to pass.
I look up from my phone, and I see him,
A boy my age, a child just like me.
I wave hesitantly, optimism abrim,
His steps to me, arrested by the frown of my nanny .
What divides us are circumstance, prejudice and apathy,
To bridge that divide, the wall in my mind needs to fall.
I think I am kind and good because I don’t abuse or harm anybody,
But when a privileged person does nothing, isn’t that mean and small?
Our fellow members on this planet have rights like you and me.
They may need a helping hand, that’s our responsibility not charity.
One person, one life- a small effort to restore equality,
Let us each revive that spark that marks our humanity.
Let’s break down the walls that keep our minds hostage,
The Invisible line, The Devil's line, The line of privilege.
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