This morning i got a little inspired and wrote a poem on the Twitterer that goes a little something like this:

WE BUILD A COUNTRY

we build a country
not by voting
or protesting
or even trying to hold
leadership accountable
although all of those
might be important
and deeply necessary
rather we build a country
by showing up
actively loving our neighbour
(All of them!)
building bridges and
longer tables!
 
=
 
we build a country
not by giving speeches
but by pausing
and listening
(Really listening!)
to stories
by wading deeply
into the waters
of empathy
and compassion
and by tackling the mountains
of understanding the ‘other’
by saying
(and more importantly showing)
that I See you!
 
=
 
we build a country
by digging
foundations for toilets
that will never
gobble up our children
by digging wells
so that each human
might have access
to cleaner, safer water
by digging into our pockets
and smashing open our greed
so as to meet their Need
by giving of our time…
 
=
 
we build a country
not by living in the past
but by continuing
to look back there
to ensure that we
do much better
this time around
by committing to learn
embracing the
uncomfortable and painful
work it may require of us
in us
through us
 
=
 
we build a country
by refusing to allow
the old flag voices
uninterrupted space
to sow their lies and hate
but by disrupting
the good old days narratives
especially within the subtlety
that often manifests as
a majority of love
but a part hate
we repeat again
“That is not okay!”
 
=
 
we build a country
through fingerprints on keyboards footprints at gatherings
a silent tear
signalling the weight of a story
but also by stepping back
to take in the sight
of violent systems, structures
committed to
holding injustice firmly in place
and signalling the bulldozers
 
=
 
we build a country
by starting each day
in front of the mirror
committing to
the urgent work
in the one
who stares back at us
in choosing Kindness and Curiosity
Compassion and Generosity
Action and Responsibility
Forgiveness and Accountability
Love and Intentionality
on Repeat!
 
=
 
we build a country by creatively
and co-operatively
coming up with ways
to carve through the inequality
that is on show all around us
and by absolutely waging war
against the temptation to
give in to the numbness
and simply sliding into the comfort
on offer to the haves
 
=
 
we build this country
by trying once more today
even if yesterday
left us reeling and hopeless
to grab on to just enough
of a spark of Hope and Possibility
to make one positive change this day
we build this country
by linking arms with those
already building this country.
 
=