until death pulls us apart

everyone was white

even at midnight

no matter which way one goes

in my hometown running naked or walking wearing clothes

downtown or to a farm in the nearby countryside

there was nowhere to escape and nowhere left to hide

from the thought that Caucasian was the proper dress

at least i made the guess

that was what privileged people wore

so I took the oath and swore

to agree

but could I also come to disagree?

Mr. Ziogas with his nose

emphatically said to me that a diverse wind blows

he became my favorite history teacher

opening my eyes to a rainbow world unlike that fundamentalist preacher

who would often pinpoint

that thinking in a certain way was my admission to an exclusive members-only joint:

and it took a while but I finally boarded a special season bus

which had a sign that said there's no them or us:

it said we are all in this together

regardless of the changing weather

it's just us, 

Gus!

one big team with one beating heart

living together until death pulls us apart,

feeling kinship with the highbrow and the low.

it's a bumpy road but it's the way we need to go

taking it with us everywhere,

practicing compassion with great care;

if you have two cookies and someone has none, please share.