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I have a very special child, Matthew is his name And though he's somehow "different", he loves just the same He loves the same as you or I, from deep within his heart An affectionate and loving child, he has been from the start Matthew makes decisions that I don't understand He gets himself in trouble, gets a reprimand All who know him love him, for he's a gentle soul But those who don't can't recognize that evil's not his goal As he's gotten older, through all these passing years I've felt a need to shelter him, due to growing fears That folks will treat him harshly, not knowing him inside And that one day they'll hurt him, out of stupid pride This month I heard a story that really made me cry About a Matthew who'd been beaten - then I heard he died And somewhere deep inside my heart, a part of me died too It was horrifying realization that all my fears were true We like to think we're civilized, but just turn on the news Ignorance is alive and well - if you're "different", you lose There are just too many stupid people, insecure and full of hate With narrow minds and wicked plans, such misery they create So now I wonder what to do, to protect my precious child What solace is there in the fact that charges have been filed? Even if his killers are sentenced to die, it won't bring Matthew back There are thousands out there just like them, waiting to attack. Enacting better laws is one thing, but it will not stem the tide Of hatred-based behaviors, those come from inside When a man will kill another just because he's not the same That tells us that WE need to change, our society's to blame. I want to scream and I want to yell, but what good would it do? So instead, I wrote this poem, and I'm sharing it with you. How can we make a difference, where in the world should we start? Maybe by teaching our children to judge by what's in someone's heart. Matthew Shepard died for nothing, if we don't heed the call And take a stance for humankind, at last, for once and for all We are straight, and we are gay, we're black and we are white But none of those things matter, when we see with our heart's sight. |
| This page is dedicated to the memory of Matthew Shepard, and created with love for my own Matthew. Matt Shepard was a mother's son, a friend, a sibling, a fellow human taken too soon - and a wake up call to all of us, whatever "group" we belong to. Please, if you have children - teach them to love all people, based on who they are inside. To visit sites dedicated to Matt Shepard, click on either of the graphics here. |
Diversity