563. Human Experience

I’ve experienced the infinite gloom of the soul,

Devoid of hope.

A bottomless hole.

I’ve experienced the ageless cruelties of man,

These would-be gods,…

Seeking praise since time began.

I’ve experienced the horrors of where no one dares to go.

Where no one understands,

And no one will ever know.

I’ve experienced the suffering of more than one human’s plight.

I’ve split apart so many times,

That nothing ever feels right.

Yet, I’ve experienced love and joy, and inexpressible beauty,

So I wonder if in the end I’ll feel it was worth it…

To have been part of humanity.

K. Aldaya, 9/15/21

Picture: By Joshua Earle on Unsplash; https://unsplash.com/photos/wyaMgb1ToUI

561. Estranged

I crossed mountains,

To warn of evil,

And you did not even care;

Then made friends with the devil,

And cast me out.

I crossed oceans,

To deliver you,…

To protect you, and to care;

Then you left and never knew,

I was drowning.

I crossed deserts,

To be by your side,

And quench your soul with hope;

And you rolled on as the tide,…

And left me there.

I crossed highways,

To run away to….

Nowhere in particular.

Desperately,…ran from you,…

And you let me.

K. Aldaya, 9/5/21

Picture: By Simon Berger on Unsplash; https://unsplash.com/photos/ET6NrIKz7Ak

551. I’m Not Sure Anymore

I remember when I was a child,

They used to go to schools and tell us.

That drugs are bad, and not to do them;

And now they push them upon us,

Like bullies on the playground.

I can remember when we were told,

“Don’t give in to social peer pressure”.

That you shouldn’t do something by force,

Unless you were completely sure,

It was your best choice to make.

I remember when Smokey the Bear,

Told us to prevent fires and care;

Now people on the media scream,

“Burn down the system everywhere!”,

As buildings burn on our screens.

I remember when celebrities,

Said bullies and suicide were bad,

And were meant to be fought out against.

Now locking people up’s the fad;

And silence lets it happen.

I remember when there were standards,

Of how to treat your fellow humans.

Now everyone believes that their fears,

Excuse them from basic demands,

Of their own humanity.

I remember when I was a child,

Even though I was not treated right,

I believed in human potential,…

For us to do what’s good and right…

Yet, now I’m not sure anymore.

Are you?

K. Aldaya, 7/26/21

Picture: By Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash; https://unsplash.com/photos/IEVa-W0kojU

546. Am I Human?

Am I human?

I can see I look like one,

Though underneath the surface,

I am everyone,

Without a face.

Am I human?

Though I used to speak like one.

I have never understood,

With all our words so over-done,…

How to be heard.

Am I human?

I no longer speak like one,

And inside drift endlessly,

Far from everyone,…

So quietly.

Am I human?

I can see I look like one,

Though underneath the surface,

I am no one.

I am the lost without a trace.

The unrecognizable face.

The outsider, always out of place.

Am I human?

K. Aldaya, 6/10/21

Picture: From Humans TV Series; Posted on fanpop; https://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38900000/Humanity-It-s-not-a-state-It-s-a-It-s-a-quality-humans-38984644-300-169.gif

545. Social Division

You look down on those who think differently than you,

And judge and criticize them for being themselves too.

You say to them, “You better love me as I am!”,

And then turn around and say, “You’re wrong, and a sham!”.

Never recognizing the sham as you.

Part of being accepted is being accepting,

Of what you may feel is formidable and upsetting.

You don’t have to agree with everything others do,

But if you truly want freedom, you must grant it too;

For respect’s propagated by respecting.

You may tell me the sob story all humans have to tell.

You may tell me how you feel, and I will feel for you as well,

But don’t condemn me for not dying for you on your cross.

I’m not a God on earth, and have to carry my own cross,…

Along with my personal, all-consuming hell.

All pains are not equal, and life’s a tragedy.

So, why are we infighting? And why can’t we agree?

That life’s far too short, too difficult, and too cold,

To bicker endlessly as our bodies grow old.

You are not a social category.

I am you, and you are me…

The heart of humanity.

K. Aldaya, 6/10/21

Picture: By Yaniv Knobel on Unsplash; https://unsplash.com/photos/UvkIx6DMTMk