The Present (Am I Not Human?)

By Jose Vilson | December 27, 2008

The Present (Am I Not Human?)

By Jose Vilson | December 27, 2008

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For a split second,
Imagine that brand new hundred-dollar coat you had on
Was given to someone else
Would you cringe?
Would you feel any type of way about it?
Does the image of those “less fortunate than you”
Actually make you feel any resentment or anger
That out of all the other people they could have taken their presents from
It came from the one that you wanted?
Does it make you clench your stomach?
Close your eyes tightly?
Infuriate you?
Can you imagine the audacity of someone with less money
Taking that one thing you wanted for Christmas?
The GALL!
For all the presents you already receive throughout and continuously
Consistently while this miscreant,
Leftover from our grand capitalist state
Got something you wanted 1 day out of the 365 or so days
Moons and suns play hide-and-seek with his days
And he still can’t be given anything but that prized coat of yours
Who does he think he is?
Does he deserve such a present even as you have so many more options for yours?
Does his basic humanity even come into question for you?
Will your system of beliefs allow for everyone this Christmas to get a present
Where in Christmases past, that present was never to come?
In a time when with all hope bubbling to the top of the kettle
The present is neither guaranteed nor taken for granted by too many
The present may not protect them, shield them from the bitter cold
The present may not be traded in for something a little shinier
The present is just a recurring notion
An interest for a period until that fad fades into the past
Whereas your present
Your present
Can make someone else’s present all the more present …

© Jose Vilson, who had something to say …


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