We are better than this

I witness a world inching ever closer to chaos. I watched as emotions gradually boiled over. The dissonance ever threatening, on the brink of breaking point, until like dry twigs in the fall, we snap. 

We can choose to bury our heads into the sand or dig our heels in. We can draw lines, build walls, or make cages. But in the end, wouldn't it be better if we can just meet somewhere in the middle, break bread, share a drink, and swap stories? 

After all, if we really think about it, there is more that connects than that which divides. Too often we get caught up in the semantics and the cosmetics. We fail to look deeper, to see the hurt and fear that we wrought upon one another.

At the end of the day, I believe we each hold the balm to heal one another's wounds and the salve to soothe each other's souls. 

All it takes is a little bit of empathy to imagine beyond the immediate problem and see the solution. All it takes is a little courage to validate one another. 

At the end of the day, we must look to our own humanity and see it reflected in the eyes of those across from us. At the end of the day, we must rise above our fight or flight responses and make full use of the faculties given to us and say, "We are better than this!"

Diaspora

I the diaspora, the vagabond, the wayfarer.

I the traveller, a nomad, a wanderer. 

I who blend in and yet never belong.

I who talk like a native but remain a foreigner.

I who have called many places my home.

 

I who have brothers and sisters though born an only child.

I who have traversed crossroads upon crossroads

 And navigated the dichotomies both external and internal

I who have crossed thresholds, broken bread, sat by hearths,  sang songs, danced dances, and heard stories.

I remain restless, for my story has no root.

I remain a drifter, dispersed into the world, riding the wind.

So I cherish any moment that is real, raw, and concrete; 

knowing just how ephemeral, ethereal, and fragile it all can be.

So walk with me, come sit by me, and just for a moment be my anchor so that I may know what it is like to feel grounded.