Learning to See Blindly, a poem

The search alone, for this post’s featured image just proves my point.  Trying to find an image with children from different backgrounds was exhausting and near impossible.  I chose to go with this one despite it not truly being as much of an impact.  Mind you, I only use royalty-free photos, but there were hundreds to choose from if I wanted to find kids of the same background together.  To me, it is sad.

I grew up in a culturally diverse area in Canada.  I never knew there were differences (at least as far as value) until I saw other friends whose parents were not so open-minded.  To me – differences were just something amazing to learn about someone else.  What do you do?  What do you like?  How do you see the world?  The questions I would ask would be endless.

I’m sorry to say it, but I do believe it is true… the world needs a lot more blindness towards different skin, different cultures, different beliefs.  Not blindness in not accepting or refusing to see – but in valuing a person for who they are, no matter how different they are from me.  If we truly want to succeed in this world, it can only be by learning to live with one another.  Otherwise, we can never be at peace and our rights along with the rights of others are always at risk.  You cannot take away one group’s rights without jeopardizing your own.

 

It is a story as old

as time itself –

I knew you

I held your hand

I looked into your eyes

and traced the wrinkles in your smile.

When you cried,

I cried too

when you were wounded,

I felt the same pain

and we never knew

the unrestrained weight

of difference.

Your eyes

a different color

yet I saw that they were

just another beautiful way to see.

Your skin

a different shade

but I trace the lines

on your lovely face

and know

they tell their own story.

Your skin

Your hair

Your heart

Your soul

all bespeak a multitude of tales

gently woven

and I dare to find its mystery.

It is not that you are different

in ways that are not fit for man,

but that you are different

so that I may seek –

to learn

to grow

and that you may teach me.

And unfortunately,

as we grow –

we lose this ability

to truly see

and the weight of difference

lays heavy on our hearts.

We no longer touch

We no longer speak

We no longer seek to understand

and we only define beauty

by what we see in our own reflection.

 

© Sumyanna 2016

 

Written for The Daily Post Prompt: blindly

Here’s another beautiful post written on the same topic: Lizalizaskysaregrey  Just loved it!

 

Wonderful image courtesy of Pixabay.com