The Denial of What Is Essential

The letter written of life should be one concerning love.
For, we have borne the burning cross of hatred too long.
We as human beings can amend the pejorative rules of hatred
again and again.
Thus, I have amended the rules of genocide, self-genocide,
separatism repeatedly.
I have searched the tree of
life for forgiving, non-bitter fruit.
So have many others.
This is the most difficult thing with neutrality and cynicism
taught to us as intellectualism.
Customs change but love stays even though banished and pushed
away. We must not deny it.
We should instead break the custom over our knees and seek
solidarity in the battle to be caring human beings.
We are built on what we believe and practice, foundationless without that.

 

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Writing has been a lifelong interest for Romella Kitchens. She has been published in the California Quarterly, Chiron Review, Ship of Fools, and many others. Her most recent publication was the Summer 2014 edition of the Coal Hill Review.