My heart pounding

my survival fear activated

 

remembering

the environmental powerlessness

where any choice may not be the right one

relationships repeatedly misconstrued

by societies imperial conditioning

 

having experienced

abuse by numerous systems

 

the unchanged resurfaces

 

a re-traumatizing trigger

reminds me again of

my own humanness

 

horror

shock

disbelief

vulnerability

 

momentarily overriding my thought processes

 

confused by

interpretations

reactions

 

my cognitive brain kicks in

 

recognizing

how

in these unfiltered  layers

 

there creates

a perceived need for self defence

both real and imagined

 

the ensuing

results

 

deem differences

as the dominating focus

 

can We

step back

pause

 

an essential prerequisite

to sort through and revise

our accepted patterns

of conscious and unconscious

behaviours and judgements

 

are We willing to

uncover

shed old beliefs

casting off righteousness

 

to recognize each person’s

inherent value

innocence

 

an ongoing challenge to

becoming more present

to find the centre of each storm

 

the reality

that We are all made of

flesh and blood

 

sharing equal rights

to know

love

to be in life’s fullness in breath

 

trusting the song within

led by our gentle heartbeat

 

simultaneously

returning to

and arising out of

life’s beginning

 

undefended

 

choose “Oui”

 

© R.A. Roberts

This poem is in response to Trevor Noah’s response to: http://www.ctv.ca/The-Daily-Show-with-Trevor-Noah/Video/S2E123-Wednesday-June-21-2017-vid1148316