Absolute
Chafing against the thought of relativism
It’s 48 degrees outside,
I park my car and sit in stuffy heat,
Hating the feel of my own skin
Chafing
Against the thought of relativism.
I had watched a man
Crossing the road, seeking shade,
Stop as cars sped down a crosswalk,
The sun merciless on his head,
Shirt soaked in sweat.
It has become a familiar sight,
And as I feel fury contend with temperature,
I tell myself
Be kind!
Keep an open mind!
Is it possible to extend sympathy
To those who lack it?
To pardon how
In the comfort of their car
They have no thought
For someone facing the blister of summer on foot?
Perhaps it’s the culture,
Conditioned character.
Is it enlightened
To always keep an open-mind
Always understand we all think differently,
Reference relative morality?
What does it mean
To witness suffering
And make a case for it?
Apathy is hot on the heels of
Unlimited vindication.
To be indiscriminately forgiving
Is ill-fated salvation.
Charitable genius
Is a game of chance,
You run the risk of
Complicit tolerance.
It’s almost 50 degrees outside,
I wonder what can possibly survive this summer,
And where the line between understanding
And permission lies.
