We Are Diverse; We Are the Same
by Kelly F. Barr

Walking down a city street
I’m intrigued by all the diverse faces;
Some white, some tan, some yellow, some black, some brown,
All attached to diverse bodies:
Some tall, some short, some thin, some fat, some soft, some muscular.

When I talk to people,  no matter their skin color, I find diversity
In the music they listen to, the books they read,
The activities they take pleasure in,
The causes they defend, their passions,
The things that get their dander up, and their beliefs.

Some see the diversities as the people themselves.
Some appreciate and respect the diversities; Some fear and abuse the diversities:
The rich kid who looks down on the poor;
The bully in the schoolyard harassing the quiet, unassuming child;
The gangs in the city streets fighting and killing those of different ethnicities.

The racists who see themselves as superior
Verbally and physically attack people of different colors;
The parents who disown their child for converting to a different religion
Or for loving someone whose skin is a different color;
The elderly woman who trembles in fear when a young man with a nose ring walks by.

Despite the diversities, we are all the same;
We are all human. When cut, we bleed the same blood,
When a loved one dies, we all grieve.
We face the same fears and temptations.
We are all born and we all die.

Walking through the hospital E.R., I see
Two gang members who lay bleeding, one black, one Hispanic.
In the maternity ward two moms scream in labor, one white, one Chinese.
In the cancer ward white, tan, yellow, brown and black all on chemotherapy.
I question the doctor. His response,”We’re all the same biologically.”

Yes, we all laugh, we all cry.
We all face challenges and bask in victories.
We all need human interaction so why don’t we reach out a hand
To help one another no matter our skin color?
Together, let us celebrate that, though we are diverse, yet we are the same.