Look Twice

We are all guilty of a heinous crime,

That strips our dignity and robs our time.

Preconceived notions we all fall victim to

That distort our perception and skew the truth.

A great mistake we all seem to make

Without ever realizing what is at stake.

The guy in the park with too many tattoos,

Or the girl in the mall whose hair is dyed blue.

From the obese man, to the woman who could stand more meat on her bones;

Those who live in glass houses should never throw stones.

Mental illness, chronic pain, and disease

All paired with negative assumptions we believe.

It is easy to pass judgment on what our eyes see

When we really should be exercising empathy.

For the naked eye simply cannot discern

The damage one creates when stigma burns.

Every judgment symbolizes erroneous shame,

Stigmas are really costumes for misunderstood pain.

We already know that a cover does not accurately portray a book,

So everything that you see is always worth a second look.

 

-  Rachel Herman  -