It's Within All Of Us

Surrounded by ignorance,
This dance of death has been done before,
What makes this time any different?
Ambition has been replaced by greed,
Compassion replaced by egoism,
They personify all that is wrong,
What can I do?
I'm fueled by ambitions,
I am also compassionate,
Are greed and egoism contagious?
What does it take to stand out?
I feel for those lost in the shadows,
I cry for those living in pain,
Single mothers abandoned by scared little "boys",
Young men with wonderful hearts, but without bravery,
A woman being hounded as she walks into an abortion clinic,
An abused woman hiding in a closet, in a room,
An abused child, hiding under his/her bed,
An elderly woman, neglected by her family,
A military veteran ignored by society,
A parent working two jobs,
A family that continues to love an addict,
A man who refuses to leave despite her adulterous ways,
A parent raising a special needs child,
And a caring teacher, left helpless by budgets cuts,
These are the people I stand for,
These are the people that make up the world,
Homes with white picket fences are a myth,
Addiction knows no race, sex, or face,
Abuse runs parallel with pride and anger,
Pain seeks out the weak and refuses to let go,
However, there is something much greater than pain,
Stronger and more powerful than abuse and neglect,
It keeps a family close,
A wife by her husband's side,
A husband cuddling in bed at night,
A child laughing,
It gives a lonely man a smile,
A single mother warmth,
A military veteran acceptance,
An addict hope,
It gives children a chance,
A murderer guilt,
A politician an ultimatum,
A suicidal person a reason to reconsider,
And it keeps me here,
For you,
To offer my hand when you fall,
My shoulder for when you cry,
My ear for when you vent,
My eyes to tell you how beautiful you are,
My voice to comfort you,
My mouth to give you a smile,
My heart to give you compassion,
My lungs to breathe into yours, just in case,
My kidney, just in case,
And my life, if that situation were to arise,
That thing, is pure, unfiltered love,
And that love within me spreads into you,
And in you, it turns into hope,
For, within you, I see hope,
That hope is worth my life,
It's worth my time, my health, and my money,
You are what keeps me going,
You are everything to me,
I only ask one thing in return,
Treat others in the same manner that I treat you,
Help them, comfort them, care for them, and love them,
For then, you too, will see that hope,
That hope that lies dormant within all of us,
Until love comes around and sets it free,
And when that happens, it will spread like wildfire,
Let it not die with you,
Let it burn within you and infect everyone you see,
Let it remove hatred, ignorance, and pain in one fellow swoop,
Let it not trickle up, nor trickle down,
Let it trickle on a level that exists in us all,
That level is love, and love will bring upon hope,
Hope for a brighter future,
Hope for every child to get an equal opportunity,
Hope to drown hunger in waves of compassion and giving,
Hope to strangle ignorance from society's ills,
Hope to rid this world of the hatred that separates us all,
Hope for us to find similarities within each other,
For I see hope in everyone,
And that is why I'm here,
To provide the love that will set hope free,
There is hope inside of you,
As it exists within me.