Teach Your Children to be Kind

Every day I see his face

I see the slouch in his posture

The fear of a choice

The flame in his eyes gone out

The losing of his voice

I see the tears that he sheds

Both when no one is around

And when everyone is there

Because he can’t help but stop them

With pain in his heart far too great to bare

If only they hadn’t teased him

Called him names and beaten him down

Would he stand a little taller now?

Would the flame have not gone out?

What did the children see?

What did they hear?

How could these children,

Beings with the capacity to love deeply

Be so cruel and more than he could bare?

Did they know what they were doing?

Did they do it out fear?

Did they want approval from peers?

Whatever their “why”

Please, teach your children to be kind.

I hold him as he cries

Deep, heavy sobs that move all of him

And I want to take his pain.

I want to take the beatings he endured

I want to take the shame.

I want to take the horrible words

The pain that keeps him up at night,

I want to take his fears and nightmares

And the thoughts that plague his mind.

I want to take the bullet.

I want to take the stab.

I want to take anything that could harm him

Before he thinks to grab

The weapon or the tool

That could take his final breath,

And supply the oxygen

If breath is all we have left.

What did the children see?

What did they hear?

How could these children,

Beings with the capacity to love deeply

Be so cruel and more than he could bare?

Did they know what they were doing?

Did they do it out fear?

Did they want approval from peers?

Whatever their “why”

Please, I beg you, please

teach your children to be kind.

What if...

If we didn’t have him here?

What if the pain

was too great for him to bare?

And one day i’m not home in time

To supply that breath of air?

What if I can’t jump fast enough

To take the final blow

Or stand in the way in time

Before he chooses to end it all.

That thought, I don’t go there...

I can’t.

He is my world.

My brother.

My flesh.

My blood.

His purpose is far to great

To fall victim to what was.

And it motivates every breath I breathe

To love and encourage everyone I meet

To see and love people right where they are

To hear them and let them know

That someone isn’t far.

To make sure their voice is heard and that

their story matters.

Because I don’t know who’s standing on the edge of a choice

That could lead to their purpose being fulfilled

Or snuffed out by a voice.

Whoever said words can never break us

Was lying through their teeth

The tongue holds the power

Of death and life

Our words leave ever lasting legacies.

It’s ok to be different.

It’s ok to be unique.

Its ok for you to like what you like

Even if everyone else doesn’t agree.

It’s ok to not agree.

It’s ok to think differently.

Learn differently. Act differently.

As long as we

Choose to speak love.

As long as we

Choose to speak life.

Because everybody matters.

No matter what you see

No matter what you hear

No matter what you think.

Everybody matters

because you’re a human life.

Just because of your existence

You have purpose.

You have drive.

There is a reason you’re here.

There is a reason you’re alive.

What did those children see?

What did they hear?

How could those children

Beings with the capacity to love deeply

Be so cruel and more than he could bare?

Did they know what they were doing?

Did they do it out fear?

Did they want approval from peers?

Whatever their “why”

Please, I beg you, please

Before it’s too late...

teach your children to be love

Teach your children to be kind.