The world is not perfect. People are not always who you think they are.

 

When you believe everything is fine is when you should open your eyes and view reality. Why? Because . . .  

 

 

The Need Is Great

 

I sat staring out the window,

watching the world

unfold before me.

 

I wondered

what it would be like

if I could fly.

 

I’d spread my wings

and soar

through the air.

 

Peacefully,

I’d drift

through the clouds.

 

My eyes, opened wide,

I would see the beauty

around me.

 

My heart would beat

in anticipation of what

might come next.

 

But then, what I see

Is confusing

and I don’t know what to think.

 

A man, dressed in a black hoody,

grabs a woman’s purse,

and disappears into an alley.

 

A woman, in jogging attire,

Is touched by a stranger,

in a way that makes her tremble.

 

A young man carrying a gun

runs from an elementary school campus,

leaving children and teachers screaming.

 

A group of homeless men and women

huddle around a fire under a highway overpass

trying to keep warm on a chilly morning.

 

A baby lays abandoned

on the steps of God’s church,

as people pass, oblivious to the infant in need.

 

Two government officials stand before

a group of yelling reporters

proclaiming their innocence of abuse of power.

 

I feel my wings

press closer to my body,

as I descend.

 

I close my eyes,

hoping this bleak picture of life

might disappear.

 

In my heart I know

I must fight for change,

for “the need is great.”

 

 

Copyright © 2023 Alan Lowe. All rights reserved.