Marty's Poetry - 4. Discrimination

If he’s confined to a wheelchair
they always talk down at him.
If she’s the victim of rape
they claim she was weak.
If we say what we feel
they tend to ignore us.
If you love your own sex
they condemn you to hell.

It happens again and again
to everybody at times.
But will the sticks and the stones
help them grow stronger?

If you’re wearing strange clothes
don’t play in our park.
If your language is foreign
don’t live on our street.
If your skin’s the wrong colour
don’t ride on our bus.
If your god is not our god
we’re better than you.

And for the times it was I
who was doing the crushing,
I beg for forgiveness
not least from myself.