a world to wish for

I wish I lived in a world where hatred’s embers languish, where there are no bombs nor people who would want to ignite them, where little children don’t get blown away by a rash of bullets from ridiculous guns in the hands of disturbed boys and men (and perhaps even women) and where people understand that with time things change and so, too, should our attitudes and actions.

I wish I lived in a world where there is a cure for epilepsy and cancer and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, where my child doesn’t suffer, where there are no seizures for people to make fun of, where folks aren’t neglected, ostracized and marginalized.

I wish I lived in a world where there are no prisons swelling with the nonviolent, the innocent, the targeted masses, a world where all people are treated equally, where education and healthcare and marriage are truly seen as civil rights, where corporations aren’t considered people, and where the poor aren’t unfairly regarded with mistrust and contempt.

I wish I lived in a world where those with abundance gladly share more with those in need, where there is no such thing as fearmongering, where no belief system is deemed more righteous than another, where greed, privilege, oppression and the lust for power dissolve into compassion and empathy and where we aren't stuck in the past living by antiquated rules and ideologies.

I wish I lived in a world where more leaders lead by courage and conscience rather than being pushed by fear and greed, a world absent of war and guarded borders, where women and minorities aren't harassed, where the underprivileged are given more of a chance, where bigotry doesn’t exist, and where “difference” is not merely tolerated, but rather, embraced.

I wish I lived in a world where my son could simply run and play and talk and dream and tell me of a world in which he'd wish to live.

photo by Michael Kolster