The Murmuring Crow

The murmuring crow gets little respect

And much fending off and neglect

Along with their raven brothers

Counted as bad omens and bothers

Their black shining coats found too dark

Would much prefer colorful plume or even white stark

The murmuring crow chased away - never kept -

With words, sticks, stones, and rampant steps

Met with such apprehension, disgust, and sorrow

The murmuring crow thought to tell of bad tomorrows

Found in dreams of disappointment, death, and loss

From the shadows and underworld they cross

Slaughter-greedy, dirty, and brooding they’re said to be

Even worse, they mask the skies in masses ceaselessly

Noisy and cacophonous from their perches surrounding

The murmuring crow far from murmurs in its proud cawing

The murmuring crow thrives still – but how?

Naught from a curse demons and witches endow -

The murmuring crow, mysterious, defensive, and ingenious,

Safe in a team protective, adventurous, and curious

Judge Me

Complete strangers

Possibly have met just now

But already lingers

This label on me you endow

What was this impression summoned from?

My face, hair, eyes?

Was it because of where I’m from?

Or the way I said hello; so now it must be goodbye?

Either way it’s engraved

Near impossible to erase

Forever in your memory enslaved

From this one foundation and base

But how do you know what to decide?

So certain so early on?

By what rules and regulations do you abide?

Are we simply in a game as simply pawns?

Is there something we are destined to be?

Is it how we are to be?

Is it who we are meant to be?

Is there no way around what people expect us to be?

Even if we are not at all what they believe

They won’t be completely swayed otherwise

Thinking we have something to hide up our sleeve

That we’re in one of our multitudes, a complex disguise

When you haven’t even gotten to know who I am really,

When you do not see what is below the surface level,

When you think my entire life’s experience shows externally,

When you pinpoint me with your judgment disheveled

Already you think I’ve done wrong

Pulling me aside with “reasonable” reasons

That right given to you and another taken from me – if it was even there all along

Because with this profiling, who’s to be sure of anything – let alone judgment’ seasons?

From such insecurities of differences

Afraid of those not just like you in beliefs as well as appearance

Displaying strongly your preferences

Because your views are shadowed by your bigotry and ignorance

So go ahead and judge me

But I won’t keep it at heart

Because opinions such are yours don’t matter, you see

Your definition does not define me, not even a part

I know it makes you feel better about yourself

But it shouldn’t to bring down others as pariahs and monsters

When you cannot even accept your faults on shelf

No criminal act outside could erase these blunders, no matter what you’d prefer

In time reality will catch up to you, down to each muscle and bone

And you liable ways spanning to every degree

As you cower in the shadows in fear to have a real opinion of your own

And you look back and notice your judgment was misplaced – but it’d have no matter to me

Go on and don’t hesitate as you judge me

Brand me whatever brutal thoughts you hold onto

But in the end the mockery trickles in with the potpourri

Of the misconceptions that I won’t take the agony to view