| There's a creature we fear to name,
lurking around in the shadows of the city.
It hides in dark, moonlit alleys
and attacks who enters while no one can see it.
It also attacks in broad daylight,
in the streets and shops that we frequent
So long as no one calls it out on it,
it doesn't stop and doesn't pretend. It lives in the culture of the people
and in the habits for years passed along,
in the sayings and in the actions,
sometimes even in the form of a song.
It lives in the hearts of those who are hateful
and of those who don't care to question what once taught;
spread by those who turn a blind eye
and by those too scared to try to speak up. It all started with the fear of the unknown
or perhaps with the war and the colonialism.
A curiosity that gave us human zoos,
an expedition that gave us "free labour".
Two continents only ever stolen from
and two others destroyed by prosecution and envy.
Cultures wither and resources are taken
and who do we blame for the beginning of it? We blame all and fight over guilt
and ignore the on-going problems we caused.
They believe if we don't name it won't be real
and don't see Discrimination keeps wrecking havoc.
But somewhere within the mayhem it has caused
blooms a lotus from a seed by some called Respect
And those who nurture it and help it grow strong
get to learn of other cultures and teach others their own. We're born on Earth and belong to the world,
frontiers were drawn by men and they shouldn't be bounding.
Beliefs can be respected and we can coexist
and it doesn't take much to see how it's possible.
Our curiosity once committed crimes,
but it can be used ethically when we respect one another.
From the ambition may be born accessibility
and the will to be the best at understanding each other. It matters not what you wear, what you eat,
as long as Respect grows bright in your smiles and waves.
It matters not where you're in, where you're from
so long as you harm no one and respect those you meet.
There's a beauty in Respect, one no other flower has:
it allows you to take its seeds and plant new ones far away
But those flowers have other names and other colors too,
and of all, my personal favorite has to be Equality. Ana Beatriz Pessoa da Silva, 12º Ano
Escola Secundária Gago Coutinho , Alverca |
