Growing Up

when we were young, we were told

that we are all equal

that it does not matter what we look like on the outside

that we are loved unconditionally

that we treat others the way we want to be treated

that we forgive

that we do what is right, not what is easy

that money is not more important than people, art, or truth

that we are free

and we believed 

and when confronted with reality

we wept

and became disillusioned and angry

and they called us naive

when we grew up, we decided

that we should all be equal

that it should not matter what we look like on the outside

that we should love unconditionally

that we should treat others the way we want to be treated

that we should forgive

that we should do what is right, not what is easy

that money should not be more important than people, art, or truth

that we should be free

and they said we were nothing 

but children

and our ideals were inconvenient

unrealistic

and that we could not possibly

understand

we are the greatest species alive

in possession of the most advanced minds

and yet all we see 

is a people too preoccupied with killing 

one another over our difference in belief 

to see 

that we are all the same

that we could be 

exploring the boundaries 

of the Universe and our own minds

if only we could stand

together

side by side