This was the sky yesterday in the evening. I was drowning in sorrow but it pulled me out.

If we were to go beyond our ideas of perfection,
we would have drown ourselves in the sea
to see if we can float with all the heaviness inside.

If we were able to understand humans
beyond their ideals of worshipping
we wouldn’t have been sitting inside our homes,
furnished enough to hide the bigotry.

If we were standing together for our rights
regardless of the faith of the oppressor
we would have been in a world
where justice can get served at a single order.

But do we?

We do not walk
unless our stomachs protrude like a pseudo foot,
making it uncomfortable for us to embrace love.

We do not speak
unless our mouths get stuffed with the selective agitations,
shaming our hypocrisy over circumstances.

We do not go on the roads
unless our homes get burnt in the riots.

We do not understand empathy
unless it’s us in their place
dying of hunger.

We do not wage a war,
unless our peace gets hurt.

We are humans,
but we choose to select emotions
to portray
for not everything we want comes for free,
not at least freedom to exist
with a different faith
idealogy and alignment.

©Sameera Mansuri 2020.

The poem first appeared on The Poetic Elixir (Instagram username : @the.poetic.elixir)

I wrote this poem back in April when things were pretty messed up but I find it more relevant today.

Thank you for reading. There will be better days. Hang on.