Somewhere along the way
We have lost
The essence
The key
To our common humanity
Somewhere along the way
We have lost
What it means to be human
To be a unique and fearfully made
Image-bearer
Somewhere along the way
We have lost
The value
The priceless worth
Of the human body and soul
I still remember his angry rebuke
He yelled, fist thrown in the air
He kicked all she owned
All she had
He kicked it down the steps
Her mind had been shattered years ago
She had lost love and meaning for life
And her mind was just in pieces
Like the pieces of the rags she owned
Important to no one
But herself
What she had was dirty, disgusting
She was annoying, disturbing
In a public place where she did not belong
But I can’t forget how he yelled
His anger overflowing
Spilling out, forceful
Treating her like garbage, not a human
I still remember what I caught
Out of the corner of my eye
A man, disheveled, dirty, homeless
Getting his belongings together
At the bus stop
I see their jeering faces
Young boys- maybe 10 or 11 or 12
Young skin, clean skin, rich skin
And they laugh-a mean laugh
The spit flies from their mouths
Hurtling it at him
Their words, their spit
“You are trash,” their actions said
I couldn’t hear their words
But I felt each one like a blow
And the traffic ploughed on
And I could not stop
But their faces and their taunts
Are etched in my mind and heart
I’ve never been there
But I have seen the news
Glass shattering, pounding thumps of bullets racing
Screaming, blood flowing
Tears streaming
Terror brought by mad men
Who don’t see
Who don’t feel
That we are one
That we are family
That we are valuable
Over and over again
It happens, spreading fear
For we can’t see each other
We won’t feel what it means to be human
What it means to love and be loved
Somewhere along the way
We have lost
And lost so deeply
sharonbernhardt 