DROP IT AND READ Generosity?

By Reverdy Michel Quanah L. Abuyen

Possibly you have not

Have you read But I will tell

Nineteen eighty-six? You why you should

War and Peace? Ignorance is like a placebo that

The Republic? Can't cure you

The Art of War? You feel safe

Perhaps the But you aren't

Cask of Amontillado Knowing the threat

Or the stories of Afro-American women Of what is unknown

Stopping white-laced buses with Lurks in the shadow of your

Their own Self-created amnesia

Two feet? You can tell yourself that you

How about the stories of presidents Knew enough

Who believed the Bible Learned enough

Was what was leading them? To respect humanity

What about the ones But do you

That retell the experiences of Know enough,

Patriotism? Have learned enough

Courage? To say you understand what everyone is

Love? going through?

Intellect? Or is the other way around when you

understand them
But can't give them a Drop it and read

Cent of humanity? If you happen to come across

Perhaps you need A hijab in a Christian community

A page to read And you're about to call her out

A thousand words of wisdom For it

Or a Facebook post for Drop it and read

A slap of world culture. If all you see in the indigenous

Just saying Tribes are shells, tattoos and

To save yourself from Dances you can't understand

Hurting anyone Drop it and read

Or any country When you want to visit

Drop it and read Dubai without a plane ticket

If you feel you know Drop it and read

Less than you know When you want to find

Drop it and read What makes you

When you're about to be

And me

An insensitive, racist
Human

Jerk
Drop it and read

Drop it and read

Online or offline
When you're about to crack
Book or tablet
A joke about Communism
Paper or LCD
Or African slavery
Old school, new school
Does it matter when

The traditions of each one

Are timeless,

Ageless,

And global?

Drop that prejudice

And read