And, If We... Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

And, if we...
Found the time to show love.
With it known there is love.
Who would be left to say,
A love others claim to have...
Was not there to feel it,
Felt to come their way.

And, if we...
Thought of our sisters and brothers,
As people with feelings like we have too.
Few would allow themselves,
To choose to disrespect them...
In ways that we often do to abuse.

We all are here and blessed to live.
This to argue or debate,
Is foolish to do it.
With excuses to make.
No one is more important than another.
And this one day we all will discover.
When charades end a parading,
Masquerades and those pretensions made.

We all are here and blessed with life.
Regardless of things we accumulate.
Or impressions to stimulate,
What it is we perceive...
Others imitating to fake appreciate.

Yet,
If we...
Can find time to show love.
With it wanted to know it done.
No one would be looking around for it.
Or awaiting to identify love when it comes.

And, if we...
Continue to leave,
A known unshown to be left alone.
Unexpressed to confess it felt.
Why should it be expected.
If suspected to detect,
Will be neglect of it to disrespect.