Ali Walks Around

I used to see other people get so angry over unjust things

that it would consume them.

I understood their rage

because their rage was warranted.

But I didn’t feel that same rage deep within me.

I felt ashamed of this for a long time.

I worked to mirror their rage

because I feared that I didn’t care as much

as I was supposed to.

And sometimes, that mirroring is necessary

to understand why justice is needed

and the pain of those who have been hurt.

But shame can never be the foundation of empathy.

Anger is not the route to justice,

and joy is not ignorant.

We are still protestors against the unjust

even if we still welcome joy in our lives.

Without joy, we will die seeking revenge,

using all our rage breaking into the house of peace

when we had the key all along,

sprinkled throughout our lives,

hidden in our bed sheets,

under our plates,

within the pockets of our loved ones,

and in the soil of our gardens.

We cannot lose ourselves with rage.

We can all fit comfortably in the house

that honors justice

and joy

and everything else

at the same time.