Willful Ignorance Poem by Lydia Thacker

If I could teach the people
to open their eyes,
look past the darkness,
reach for the skies,

I'd teach them hope,
acceptance, to be free,
replace their ignorance,
sorrow, and greed.

It's a sad thing
when people won't learn.
Willful ignorance
is a stain, a burn.

The bane of the world
stems from this woe,
which kills our ability,
as a people, to grow.

Racism, sexism, opression
of different creeds,
are evil detriments
which invariably impede

the devoted progression
of knowledge profound,
the myriad amplification
of countless minds unbound.