Walking with your eyes closed

30/05/2020 - Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

I’ve been on this planet for forty years

And I’ve seen my fair share of trouble.

I’ve known what it is to be the victim

From when I was a little child.

I’ve had my trust betrayed by family,

Been laughed at for feeling fear.

I’ve been put in positions of exploitation

And be very publicly abused.

But so many people I meet,

In real life or virtually,

Walk around with their eyes closed

To the terror that besets this world.

So, let me open your eyes a little,

That you might see what is all around.

I promise you won’t like it, not one bit,

But this isn’t meant to sooth your soul.

This is your reality check,

The one you should have passed long ago.

It’s the slap in the face you’ve quietly ignored

Because it wasn’t troubling you at all.

I’m here to make it trouble you,

I’m here to make you see,

If you don’t open your eyes today

You’ll trip on your privilege in the coming days.

When someone opens up to you,

Open your ears and open your heart,

Because it took more courage than you know

For them to break down that wall.

If they tell you about the injustice

They see and feel on a daily basis

Don’t wave away their anguish

Because you’ve never felt the same.

If they tell you about the hills

They have to climb just to reach the start

Don’t look down at the dirt on their hands

Because you got an extra head start.

And when they tell you that you’re privileged

Don’t deny what you should already know.

Listen to the words they say,

And feel it in your soul.

Because I am just as privileged

By the colour of my skin.

I walk through this world less troubled

Than if I was black or brown, you know.

And even though I’ve known trouble,

I told you at the start,

It is amounts to nothing

When compared to indigenous folk.

My ancestors were never ripped

From a mother’s loving arms,

To be abused and mistreated

By those who were supposed to care.

My forebears were never murdered

Simply for wearing the wrong colour skin

As if it’s something they had a choice in

Or could change if they wanted it enough.

My family is full of immigrants

Who chose to resettle half a world away

And weren’t a part of those policies

Which we still see the legacy of today,

But that doesn’t mean I’m immune

From the privilege it provides,

The opportunities it opens

Or the hills I don’t have to climb.

So, when you’re standing on your mountain

Looking out at the world,

Be aware of what’s before you

And try to change the colour of your eyes.

Do you see yourself represented?

Truth be told, you probably do.

So, who’s representing the others

If all you see is you?

If you’re watching the news tonight

And don’t see a person of colour

Imagine what that feels like

To an Asian or Indigenous child.

And when you’re listening to the radio,

Tell me what the message is you hear.

Is it one of acceptance and equality

Or is it deaf to all by bigotry?

This issue is not just black and white,

Nor brown, nor yellow, nor red.

It is a rainbow of the best of us

Rising above the pretty squabbles.

Do not be afraid of lifting your fellow man up,

Don’t anger at someone helping that lady now.

Their equality is not oppressing you

Nor taking away from your hard work.

If you’ve ever been pulled up by security

When travelling by plane or by boat

And felt that it was an inconvenience

But not been afraid for your life,

That is your privilege speaking

Hear it loud and clear;

Be aware that the person next in line

Might not experience it the same way as you.

If you’ve ever bee knocked back from the pub

When you were too drunk to walk a straight line

But the person before you was almost sober

And was refuse entry just the same,

That is the everyday discrimination

With which people of colour must deal

Each day of their lives without fail

Because they are seen a something less than you.

“What can I do”, you may ask of me.

Well, the answer is beautifully plain.

Open your eyes when you’re walking

And see how the world turns around.

When you see injustice, step up –

Be the person who gives a damn.

Don’t be petty or jealous or spiteful

When they achieve instead of you.

And I know I’ve said this before,

But listen when others speak,

Don’t just hear the words they say

And turn the other cheek.

Be insulted on their behalf,

Be angry and be frustrated.

And though this is their war to win,

Be a soldier at their rear.

We can live our lives in ignorance

But that changes nothing for anyone.

When your blinkers have been taken off,

Your blindfolds finally removed,

Keep your eyes open while walking

And let people of colour run.