Teal embrace

I imagine
a world that accepts all
and takes anyone into
its teal embrace,
where everyone has a place
they can call home,
everyone is equal,
on the same level
in the same house,
ctrl c and ctrl v,
with a working toilet
that flushes,
a sink 
that doesn't leak,
a kitchen
where the stove's
not a fire hazard,
a bed and a couch -
let's throw in a TV -
and for the most part,
your house 
is what you make of it
and you aren't afraid to go up
to that neighbor whose garden
is the envy of the neighborhood,
fruits of labor
from many months
of kneeling in the dirt.
You will say, "Howdy."
She will say, "Good day."
And as you ease into
simple conversation,
all in the world
will be as it should.

But of course
it is only
a simple daydream
of a girl
stuck at home
staring out a window
on a fine spring day,
a trick of the sunlight
streaming through half-open shutters.

Worlds like this don't exist
yet
because they're run by humans
like us.
Call me cynical,
but for humans
like us
there will always be
the one who wants more
than to live in a house
copied and pasted,
one for all.
I wish I could say
it would be all for one,
but alas,
curse human selfishness,
we would appreciate
the comfort of having a home
that would have and would hold
us through the dark days.
But generations to come
might not.

America is the envy of all nations,
the apple of its eye
because of all the rights
ancestors years ago
once wrenched
from monarchy's steel grip.
Yet now, we go days,
months, maybe years
without thinking about
how lucky we are
to speak our minds
freely.

But perhaps I am just a cynic.
Because if our forefathers
could make a dream
like America
a reality,
it can be done
eventually
if we have the will
the grit, the fight
to change the world.
Wouldn't it be wonderful
to strike the perfect balance
and have the right
to a home?
For the children of your children
and generations after that
to never worry
about whether or not
they will have a house
that has a warm bed,
running water,
and gas?

So call the troops.
Spread the word.
Choose hope.
Don't live in fear
of what might be.
And dare
to change the world.

amaryllis

CA

YWP Alumni

More by amaryllis

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