The Value of Humanity is Within You

I wrote this poem this morning and it came with tears as I moved through my experience as a clown and felt the touch of humanity in my heart and the beauty of such an equality. I describe those who appear most vulnerable. Then I thought of some people whom I felt did not value myself, I had a sudden insight that they did not value themselves. I just cried as I saw their pain. They wear masks and positions, for the briefest moment I saw them. I saw great value in their lives.

I spoke to my mother about my insight and I said to her we only value others when we value ourselves. That is where we go to find our virtues, we have to go within. If we don’t feel value of self, then we won’t feel it for others. This is why it is so important that we teach peace, love and positivity as connection. When people feel the inner connection they will then reach out to others. As they will feel it. When they don’t they have been taught by society to block their feelings. This I feel is a real problem for uniting humanity. Until you can feel for others, you cannot feel yourself. I don’t see them and us, I see us. So when you suffer I actually feel it, as in the past I have felt my own. Naturally I reach my hand out to you out of love not sympathy. As I am you. Do you see what I mean. This is the beauty of poetry it just leads you into the heart of truth.

If you want to bring down your own walls, try writing a poem or spending time to really feel someone’s pain. Don’t block it and say to them stiff upper lip, or swallow it, just sit with them and allow them to express their heart, that is how you open your own. What you unlock in another, unlocks in you. Then life pours in as we are all interconnected, no-one is separate. We only feel blocked when love is denied its natural expression. That is why the wise say be like the child. Children love everyone. In fact a beautiful man was telling me yesterday up to 3 years old children are so beautiful, there is no discrimination, they accept everyone and just play well together. Then at 3 they somehow take in their parents and societies prejudices and they learn to discriminate. This is when the disharmony starts to occur. The challenge as adults is to remember that part of ourselves that accepts everyone. Each has a right to dignity to be alive and to live a full life expressed, when we block that through our own insensitivity, the whole world contracts.

Much love to you.

THE GIFT OF YOUR LIFE

The value of humanity,
Is not in accounting concepts,
Nor is it apportioned by legal systems,
Or those who espouse what is right or wrong,
It is inherent,
And inalienable,
It is the foundation,
Of true civilization.

Value is the pearl,
It is surrounded by the hard shell,
Protection shines in the eyes of virtue,
For those who see no value,
Do not value themselves,
And become the hard shell forgetting the pearl.

As I move into the public space,
My eyes shining with joy,
I see no differences,
I see no better than,
Or less than,
I am reaching out to all,
Some laugh,
Some look away,
I have no thoughts running through my mind,
For my heart is in control,
And when it leads,
Love fills the space,
Naturally.

I have seen those who sit alone,
Those whose faces are marked and disfigured,
Those with bottles on benches,
Those trapped in a world where there is no warmth,
From riches to rags,
For they are shunned,
I have been to slums,
To refugee camps,
Where there is no running water,
Dispossessed and displaced,
I have seen children in wheelchairs,
Deaf and dumb,
Down syndrome and dribbling,
Those sick and unable to smile,
For when I look into their eyes,
Even if they don’t respond,
All I see is beauty,
For I know they feel,
Yet some are unable to express,
How they feel,
In truth.

The tears roll down my face,
As I see the imprisonment,
Some think they are not human,
Yet I feel their humanity,
Even those in a coma,
Are alive inside.

When I teach,
My heart is walking the room,
For peace is the subject that matters,
I look for isolation,
Exclusion,
Lack of confidence,
Or self love,
Awareness,
For my life is to help them remember,
That every person is unique,
Every one is valued,
For that is how they reach their peak,
No matter how they look, the colour of their skin, their gender or intelligence,
Each is part of a bigger picture,
And this life is short lived,
Seize the moment they say,
For what we do and say matters,
As responsibility is the ability to respond,
To all matters big or small,
For each crying heart,
Is reaching out,
The only question is –
Do we reach back?
As we do
We discover the joy of true community.

There are no questions with love,
Like truth you just know,
For this is the life that flows over all obstacles,
And you are the teacher,
That leads by example,
For life is not a transaction,
It is the resurrection of truth,
And when the end of your life arrives,
Others will remember your kind acts as they cry,
Where you made a difference in their lives,
Where your words gave real meaning,
They remember your eyes,
For they saw you,
And others will tell funny stories,
For you were the clown at times,
Some will cry when you cared,
Or showed courage in facing fears,
For this is the true humanity that marks success,
It is the dignity of a life fully lived,
For you are the gift of life
And life is indeed a gift for you,
That is always the present.