Others, Objects or ... ?

Obviously, obliquely ours

This, not about me,
or you. It’s about others.
Ha! Or so it seems.

Opponents

Both woke up and prayed
from either side of warzone.
To different gods.

Both asked to be spared
from the others’ weapons, hate.
Neither survived day.

Other-Siders

Both fathers worked hard,
one in office, one in field.
Across the train tracks.

Both came home to kids
struggling with homework. TVs
on different channels.

Outsiders

One sports MAGA hat,
other, brand name fancy cap.
Both keep out sun’s light.

Ate burgers for lunch,
one, “veggie,” other, “real meat.”
Both with soda and sides.

One-Siders

Brand new parents grin
when visiting the cradle.
Feeling blessed, grateful.

Great grandparents sob
when visiting the graveyard.
Feeling lost, grief-full.

Obtuse

Roller coaster ride,
illness, treatment, labile moods.
We’ll see how it goes.

Just hanging in there,
chemo’s round four ending soon.
Hoping for the best.

Odds

Family of three,
two humans, a cherished cat.
All shy introverts.

Family of five,
frolicking in the cool surf.
Barefooted freedom.

Family of nine,
deceased ones are present too.
Wherever they go.

Outed

Some Johns call us names,
streetwalker, bitch, tart, whore, worse.
They think they know us.

We sing, swim, grow food,
make miracles from dead wood.
It’s Jane we prefer.

Ours

Preferred pronoun: We.
Favorite fantasy: We-world.
Verbs: Ask, accept, act.

“We” means all of us,
with “us” meaning everyone.
Without exceptions?

Each, like everyone,
like some other people, groups.
Like nobody else.

Opportunities

In the space, distance
between oneself and others.
Opportunities.

That liminal space
between us is luminous.
What if we lived there?

One

Humans as all one.
Ngunis say ubuntu,
Mayans in lak’ech.

We are each other.
Greeting blessing namaste.
We need each other.

Obvious?

Shared humanity,
homo sapiens earthlings us.
Kin we are, yes. All?

Them, us, strangers all,
gratefully we meet by grace.
Us, them, angels all?

Obscure?

Every one holy,
essentially worthy, whole,
all are after all.

Whole and holy, all,
when we light each other’s ways,
keep each other warm. 

Ohh!

And-both empathy,
feel our brothers,’ sisters’ glee.
And also, their grief.

When love, learning lead,
we listen to each other.
Win-win in we-world.

Objectified

Each other’s mirrors,
subjects all and objects none.
Simple or not, so.

The true beloved,
kind victim, cruel murderer.
Kindred. All of them?

Options

Perhaps we, in deed,
are neither demons nor gods,
good nor bad indeed.

Perhaps we’re neither
nadir nor acme, alpha,
apex or keystone.

Perhaps we’re simply
stardust, sandstone, carbon bits,
bone and brain and brawn.

Perhaps we’re also
recycled pilgrim spirits,
twirling at-to home.

Offerings

May we hear others,
listen well to each other.
Reciprocity.

May we see others,
observe through others’ viewpoints.
Wide lens perspective.

---

May our suffering be healed,
and may we be able
to support each other in our grief.

May we be patient with one another
and with ourselves
as we discover, uncover
our oneness,
and manifest kindness,
which translates as fairness,
which leads to peace.

Onus

Acting "As if ...", an empathy exercise

Other-guided interaction, a connecting exercise

Of course ...

There’s more to it all,
for we’re part of larger whole.
To be continued ...

What say you here, hairy holy humans?

(“Hearting,” restacking, recommending publications help them reach “others” 😉)

By human earthlings’
heads hearts hands intelligence.
No AI used here.