Don’t Define Me
written by: Charlie Bottle
@CharlieBottle
Don’t define me by who I am,
At this arcing, juxtaposing, intersect of time,
Or, by the tattooed color of the latitude,
Imbued in time to protect us from a harsh sun,
As we toiled in fields, forests and foundries.
Do not define me, by who I am,
By the knowledge I lack, or possess,
Nor by my small and simplistic intellect,
For short is the road to wisdom’s door,
Shorter still if one avoids, the sophist’s lure.
Don’t define my calloused hands,
As a product lacking personal care,
Unwashed, unkempt, unhygienic,
My smile, look at my smile,
Desiring to ignite your soul with empathy.
Don’t define me by the boundaries,
Carved by myopic empirical cartographers,
Blind to the distant souls of people,
The migrating and returning seasonal birds,
Are blind to ink defined fenced borders.
Do not define me by my pathetic today’s,
Caged with Hope outside the borders,
To feed the hunger and the yearning,
Of wisdom, wealth and opportunity,
And a starry tomorrow wrapped in stripes.
Do not define us by judging us unworthy,
Our substandard selves hold the perfect seeds,
That will feed your barren future,
For there is no rest for the industrious,
Nor, sleep for dreaming visionaries.
Formed in discriminating crucibles,
Stoked by prejudiced ignorance and bigotry,
Refined, we lie still beneath the dross,
That seeks to cloud our purpose,
To live once, to serve many, and to love forever.
- Atom Shanti - December 31, 2024
- University of Aging - September 25, 2024
- Silence Lets Delusion Rule - July 22, 2024
