We Could
 
Let’s return to the trees 
become light, oxygen, wood, and waxen canopy,
photosynthesis our mother. 

We could fight by living, striving,
and thriving. 
We could fight the death we chase 
with shallow perception, 
believe in new roots, 
tossing aside where we come from.

We could sway and bend
so we won’t break.

But we work towards stress and lies 
about what it means to make it.
We could build foundations, 
a home, strong children,
a backbone,
and these could be our legacy. 
 
We could toil for money not ethics, status 
not fortitude.
We could look the same as we might 
had we fought for the good
and the many, for content 
of character  
and not comments 
on social media pages.
 
But it is neither truth nor integrity we seek;
we build 
card houses,
images out of false praise.
 
We could build each other up.
 
We could tear each other down, 
protect our flimsy empires
with arsenals of self-interest.  
 
We could eradicate fear.
It could matter not that we died
but that we lived.