if only/shatter

If only one person 
Changes their mind
To see through the eyes
Of the other side

If more of us change
The size of our shoes
To step into someone’s
With opposing views

We might have a chance 
As a nation again
Depending on whether
And if and when

But so many of us choose
To simply ignore
As we climb ever higher
On the backs of the poor

So shatter the glass
Shatter your fists
Shatter the stigma
In which you live
Shatter the silence 
Of the privileged class
And shatter the voices
That cling to the past
Shatter the earth
On which you stand
Shatter the chains 
That bind your own hands

If we can work together
And cross the vast canyon
To bridge the gap 
Of tribalist fandom 

But it seems far away
And at once too close
To reflect on ourselves
And and the lives of our foes 

When batons and bullets
Become the norm
And peaceful protesters 
Are gassed and swarmed

It’s too much to handle
Too much to take
Clear eyes weep
And strong hearts break

So shatter the glass
Shatter your fists
Shatter the stigma
In which you live
Shatter the silence 
Of the privileged class
And shatter the voices
That cling to the past
Shatter the earth
On which you stand
Shatter the chains 
That bind your own hands