Photo by Darius Bashar
I pledge allegiance to the person
you believe yourself to be
and to the one you see
yourself becoming—
that kaleidoscope of possibility.
One world, many nations,
identities, beliefs, and ways
of living, every single soul
existing in a universe
that craves connection.
The light in me bows
to that same light in you,
each of us here together
in this space and time,
life undivided, liberty to all.
Our common hopes—
to live in peace,
essential needs satisfied,
with the means to live fully
the person we came here to be.
With my whole heart, I want to exist
where acceptance reigns,
where our priority is to be kind
to one another, hands extended
in offering, remembering
how very much we are the same.
—Previously published in Braided Way (2024)