Poem: I OFFER MIXED BLESSINGS

I OFFER MIXED BLESSINGS

I do not wish you ill

I wish you awareness

I wish you realization

I wish you an open mind

open ears

and an open heart

When those truly come

the weight of your ignorance

will cause confusion

turmoil

sorrow

pain

May you lament your past perceptions

and may the ignorance of others

drive you mad
drive you to speech
drive you to action

You might understand
our rage

our resilience

our restraint

the depth of our faith

and our dismissed strength

You may even grow

to resent their resistance,

remember it was yours,

and know at times

it could too easily be
again

I do not wish you ill —

only the experience

of awareness
as catalyst

and also
as curse