I have the chance to change one thing in this world.

 

I have the chance to change one thing in this

big

messed up

beautiful

world.

 

So I jump up,

throw my arms in the air,

and cry tears of joy;

 

because there are so many things that need changing –

because there is so much good I can do.

 

Unable to contain my emotion,

again, I jump and twirl and thrust up my arms

 

I jump and twirl and thrust up my arms

I jump and twirl and thrust up my arms

 

until I collapse in exhaustion –

landing next to a stack of paper

and a pile of pencils.

 

And then my fingers are on fire –

penning a list of the

wonderful

wonderful

things I can do[1].

 

And when my flying fingers finally come to rest –

 

I pause.

 

I breathe in slowly.

 

And again:

 

I jump

I throw my arms up –

and I let hot tears fall.

 

But now in despair.

 

Because I have the chance to change one thing.

One thing

ONE thing

in this BIG     

messed up

BEAUTIFUL world.

 

I get to change ONE little thing.

But there is a whole slew

of things I could do.

 

So seeking some sort of solace,

my water-welled eyes take their turn to fly:

they slip, slide, soar

over the list constructed before…

 

And then suddenly they stop.

 

My eyes close, as my brain knows:

 

I cannot change all the things on that list.

 

I can NOT change all the things on that list.

 

But I can definitley work one…

And my neighbor can work on one.

…And her neighbor another.

…And his neighbor and her neighbor and his neighbor too!

 

If ever we were connected,

a species as one,

that time is now –

that time has come.

 

We created these problems –

we, WE mankind –

with our thinkers, scientists, writers, and minds.

 

So those same people

(yes, US!)

must rise to the times.

 

We have the skill; what we need is the will –

we must harness our talents

and heal this big hurting world.

 

So I wipe the tears from my face

because I know what I’d change.

 

If I could change one thing in this world –

 

just one thing

ONE thing

one thing in this

BIG

messed up

BEAUTIFUL

world –

 

I would seek out apathy,

wherever it may hide...

 

Then I would take that dark film and

hold it in my hands

 

as I jump

throw up my arms

throw up my arms

throw up my arms

and thrust it away.

 

Away…

away…

away…!

 

With all the force I can humanly muster

I thrust it away –

ejecting it through the stratosphere,

straight to the sun.

 

Where it will burn. Hot.

 

And with no more inhibition or apathetic position,

humanity will rise.

 

Refreshed.

 

With our own unique tools,

our own unique talents,

our own beating hearts and bare hands

and birth marks,

 

we will march.

 

Each person cares deeply about

something

on that list.

 

So pens in hand,

we will march united –

each craving to check something

off that shared, seemingly endless list of problems.

 

And we will not be discouraged.

Tirelessly.

Forward.

We will march.

 

It will be the hardest we have ever worked

but we wouldn’t trade it for anything,

because we understand the deep importance of every one of our actions,

because we are together,

and because soon  

 

all those individual “somethings” that hurt us so deeply

will be righted.

 

And there will be no more list.

 

(No more list!!)

 

No more list because no more apathy.

 

No more list because deep down we all care so much about one another,

and without that dark film to cloud our deep and true care,

we will have no inhibition –

we will have nothing to stop us.

 

Nothing to stop us from acting

on our

deep

          deep

                    deep

love.

 

 

 

And when our whole kind acts out of love so intensely –

 

this

big

beautiful

beautiful

world we shape and we live in

will feel a squeeze…

 

(a warm, comforting, secure kind of squeeze…)

 

(a unique kind of squeeze…)

 

the tight squeeze…

 

of a global embrace.