A little over a year ago while getting off the interstate I found myself behind an elderly colored man also getting off the interstate. He was in a old beat up vehicle and I started thinking. You know, as thoughts do, you can have 72 of them in a span of 2 seconds. That is how it was for me. I thought, he seems really sweet and a little unsure of his driving skills. He was hesitating when pulling up in traffic. I assumed he prob has had a hard life by the looks of his car. I imagined how might he respond if we were in public and I made eye contact with him. I am always making eye contact with everyone and no one. You see, most people don’t look up. So many people avoid eye contact. But In this world so full of hate, I make an attempt to create a peaceful space around me, wherever I go and whomever I meet. I will do my best to make eye contact with you. I want it to show that we are equal and both valued the same. I imagined being in a group with him (now mind you, this all took about 2 seconds of thoughts in real life) I imagined him not being treated with respect and me desperately trying to teach people that we are all the same. I imagined telling someone to close their eyes and touch his arm. With your eyes closed you cannot tell he was black or that I am white by the feel of our arms. That I where the first line of the poem came into my mind. I wrote the rest when I got home.

If I were to close my eyes and touch your skin I would feel no color.

If I were to close my eyes and feel your breath I would know only that you are alive.

If I were to close my eyes and feel your heart I would find the rhythm of the beat.

With my eyes closed I could feel that we are the same. We exist in the same space, each with breath in our lungs and a beating heart in our chest.

With my eyes closed I could conclude that we can do the same things with our capable arms to carry out a job and our strong legs to help walk us there.

With my eyes closed color and race do not exist.

With my eyes closed, we are the same.

But…I open my eyes….

WHY DOES IT NEED TO CHANGE???

Why do people see others with their eyes open but their hearts closed?

Why do we see different races or cultures as strange just because it is not like ours?

If our hearts were open and lead the way with kindness, love, and acceptance, the world would be different.

Everyone is always talking about –Eyes wide open – but what if…..for just a moment…..we had our – Hearts wide open – and our eyes closed tight?

Take a moment or a day or a season or even a life time and see people not just with your eyes opened but with your heart opened too.

-by charlene Turney

Back in October 25, 2018.