Niaz Khadem
...so it's like
pop pop you're missing
your 20/20 vision
now from this position
you see with true precision
the people you meet
the things you behold
no longer blinded by sight
you've got to see with your soul
it's like eating a fruit
you throw the peel to the floor
drink the sweet juice
and spit the seeds out the door
people running their mouths
people playing their games
you see the truth now man
they all look the same
now this sweet juice that I spoke of
just a moment before
tastes like the loving-kindness
that came bursting through your door
the moment that you shut
those eyes of yours
to the hate and prejudice
we've been directing towards
all our brothers and sisters
in this place called earth
man closing your eyes
was just like a rebirth
like a renaissance
of those times before
when you were the little kid
with the friend next door
all you wanted was for him
to come over and play
it didn't matter that his skin
was of a different shade
now that we've remembered
these truths of old
thank God every day
that you can see with your soul
Niaz Khadem teaches Spanish in Paducah, Kentucky. His father is Persian and his mother is Irish. His poetry can be found in Toasted-Cheese and in the forthcoming issue of Word Riot.
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