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.
