Our Intentions, Their Actions
With a flair for spotting
The chinks in their armor,
We revel in obliterating
Even an unblemished character,
But looming in our ‘moral fabric’
Are striking stains and holes,
Reminding us always
To first look into our soul.
Belittling people and
Making incessant remarks,
Downgrading others seems
The easiest of tasks
But it requires prudence,
Quietude and altruism
To break through the lattice
Of judgmental prisms.
Unscrupulous behavior and
Chicaneries of others
Leave us marinated
In grief and anger,
But aren’t our actions
Similar to theirs
When it comes to gaining
An advantage unfair?
Painting ourselves as
Innocent and helpless,
We label others’ actions as
Immoral and ruthless.
For us, what follows guilt
Is self-reflection and contrite,
But for others, what appears
Is a gleeful delight.
Morality is thus reduced to
A matter of convenience,
Applied in situations where
It remains subservient,
Swept aside artfully when
It besmirches our name
And summoned from the grave
When it leads to fame.
Prevailing our actions
Is a sense of rectitude,
But the same for others
Counts as turpitude,
For we judge ourselves
By our intentions
And we judge others
By their actions.
