I speak to you
You with hate in your hearts
Do you remember kindness?
Or were you this way from the start?

Your naiveté is
Thick and dense
Hard to cut through
Even with the best offense

I struggle with my words
For fear of acting like you
I assuage my frustration
Breathing deep through and through

So what do I do?
How do I stand?
When our collective fate
Seems to lie in your hands?

The answer is clear
It’s- from within- lit
It directs me
”Love one another
And take no shit.”

Tricia Schwaba 12/2026