I Am You

Am I a pest,
a thorn in your side,
a piece of trash to cast away?
Am I less than you?
Do you ever wonder as you
stand and bark orders?
You do not see my ancestry,
the weathered lines upon my face,
the tired fight I put up each day.
You do not see the earth as I do.
You see ownership, power, monopoly.
I see beauty, respect, and gratitude
for a place to call home.
I respect the laws that nature provides.
I am grateful for her care and the food
that nourishes.
You see land to be bulldozed, flattened,
and turned into parking lots and skyscrapers.
Look closely young soldier.
Remove your visor, the blinkers that blind.
Dare to look within my eyes.
Can you see it now?
We are the same, you and I,
wanderers of this earth, privileged to
have a sun to shine upon us, rain
to water the grasses that grow, animals
to feed upon, and a place to call home.
We do not own anything.
We are, all of us, the same - guests
on this our home planet.