with the trill chorus
leaves sing
in fall breeze flutters
so may it be
eyelids shudder
to illume
all beating hearts
b r e a t h e
lest
dehumanization creeps
perceiving eyes
of variant hues
as lava stones
being tossed in a river bank
segregation of
us
and them
sowing
judgement apathy disgust
of homeless refugees
another’s race religion gender
a differing belief
justifying
shun hate defamation assault
shots wars
and so may it be
I we she he they
see feel hear heal
hearts who
b l e e d

A Long Island Poetry Collective member, UUCSR weekly poetry discussion leader, and social justice advocate SHERI LYNN, was published by: Ms. Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams, Long Island Quarterly, The Long-Islander: Walt’s Corner, Paumanok Transitions (also a co-editor), Nassau County Poet Laureate Society, , Bards, Performance Poet Association, Nassau County Voices in Verse, The North Sea Poetry Scene Press, 911 Memorial Museum, Poets4Haiti and more. Sheri Lynn launched BreatheInsights.com and Nature’s Breath published by Dream Believe Publish in 2019.