SP L I T
The pandemic has split people Split homes Split families Split relationships with beloved cities Split mask-wearing willingness Split couples Split money into pieces Split society Grew society too Split safety in everyday existence Split certainty Split human lives Split human immunity Split careers in half Split jobs Split housing prices Split up the world we knew last year, at the new year, on my birthday, 9 days before the quarantine order Split tolerance for people you once loved Split up everything in this world. Stop tearing the truth apart Stop tearing the world up Stop raising our temperatures Stop cruelty and useless violence Stop abusing guns Stop burning our forests Stop killing black people Stop robbing the financial possibility of "snowflake" young people so they can afford to live in cities they love Stop electing and believing narcissists Stop abusing our beloved democracy Stop arresting protesters who are trying to do the right thing Stop praising the wrongdoings and writing off the good work of the righteous Stop systemic racism in America Stop killing older people And start caring about those who need it the most: those who weren’t born with the “luxuries” that come with being a white straight male. Start bridging the gap between the WOMBen who made you, and men like you, who can’t bear a human. Start education on the things of concern. Start researching how you can unite the country, like you say you want. Start the process of making sure BIPOC are cared for, listened to, feeling understood, feeling loved for who they are, paid wages equal to whites, guaranteed access to quality health care, feeling safer in their neighborhoods and homes with a new and reformed police system. Give them a hand. Let them hold it. Let them know there’s another ally on their side, sympathetic and caring about their collective struggles, knowing that they need a booster to the life they deserve. Give them a piece of your privilege. You are lucky that you already have the privilege, so give a piece of the luck to someone who doesn’t have it in their blood, so they can do phenomenal things with their lives too. They would greatly appreciate it and benefit from your generosity. Your own heart will sing too, simply because you made someone else’s life happier. Give them a piece of your heart. They need it so badly right now. Because you have these things, they deserve them too. We’re all human and deserving of these basic necessities to live a quality life on this planet. You have these things, so why wouldn’t you want someone else to have them too? There’s more than enough room in this world for love. For more love to be given. For more love to be made. For more people to live the lives they’ve dreamed, so their dreams don’t stay a dream for the rest of existence. For more people to receive the necessities to create the lives they dream. So they don’t have to work as hard as they do to get the paycheck you have.
Here is an Instagram post I made after George Floyd’s merciless murder. I wanted to link it to this blog post. First, because I really like the wording, and secondly, I thought readers who aren’t on Instagram might like to see it.
You have your father’s way with words. You see the big picture just as he did. You honor him and yourself by carrying this voice forward. This world needs to hear it. I love you.
Thank you Mom. That means so much to me. He always has a place within my writing.
I love this, Dawn. You do have a way with words and it’s compelling when you want it to be. Thank you.