The Otherside

is neccessary to know,

To connect with others

To feel, love, and grow.

But once I took that first sip of knowledge,

I was no longer ignorant to pain, struggle, and sorrow.

It was suffocating,

Knowing I can no longer ignore it

And just foget about it tomorrow.

As I try live a life to the best of my ability,

Trying to advocate for the poor, sick, and those with a disability.

The knowledge of knowing their pain,

crushes me with guilt,

and makes my anxiety grow insane.

It would be easier to pretend,

That those stories are far away across the sea,

But I know different,

And it crushes me.

It can’t be ignored,

Not when wealth stares into my eyes,

While down the road,

An 11 year old sells coke to survive.

I have realized the starting line has never been equal,

And it favors some for no rhyme or reason,

This exploiting of the wealthy,

Is not me trying to start a treason.

But to those who shout on Sunday,

“Lord let me help my neighbor!”

I beg you to live out those words,

And do someone a favor.

When I visit the schools,

The hood, the shops,

It made me aware of the culture,

Understood the fear of cops.

I talked to the people,

heard their stories,

their truths.

It was not always easy to

not fear or judge,

or become aloof.

But this I tell myself everyday,

Ignorance and fear will destroy us,

But by bridging the gap,

understanding the problems they mention,

empathy will restore human connection.