<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://sswlhc.org/poem-racism-world/" title="A Poem on Racism – “The World Could Be”" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 21.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt; color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><span style="font-size: 18.5pt; font-family: inherit, serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none;">The World Could Be</span></a><div><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">By Alan L. Nager<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">We live in a world that’s confusing at best<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Sifting through information, we’re put to the test<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">There’s so much complexity in every sphere<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Opinions, and narratives uniquely appear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Ideas may be radical, and some astray<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Many are provocative, bound to dismay<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">People are divided by religion and race<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">With friction and differences, so commonplace<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Color and gender are some other forms<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">With multiple perspectives and dynamic norms<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">The vital question is what do we need<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Amid angst and despair, we feel, indeed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">People are emotional with frustration and fear<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Doubting that solutions will ever be here<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Individuals are hurting and the pain is great<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Yet, blame and inaction tend to dominate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Injustices and judgements appear complex and true<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Begging for respect, a completely fresh view<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">New rules of engagement are what we need<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">To gain trust and acceptance, a path to succeed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">If bigotry and indifference could be buried away<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Then, hope and energy would bring a meaningful day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Relationships could be warmer and comforting too<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">Honoring each other could be fulfilling and new<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">With biases recognized, managed with care<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">No doubt, common kinship would soon fill the air<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Where hatred is gone and attitude measured<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">The beauty of togetherness could all be treasured<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 19.8pt; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(86, 86, 86); letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">If life was aligned, the world could be<br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">A new special place for you and me.</span></p></div>—————————————————<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></body></html>