Offend

I’ve never attended to politics,

It’s rarely arrested my view,

But sometimes there’s so much chatter and talk,

There seems little I can do.

I tune into stories to catch a whiff,

Of what’s coming down the pike.

Friend, I see you’re far to the left,

But what if I’m far to the right?

Omissions or angles? Lopsided or fair?

Words confound me line by line.

So I use my wits to rake through the letters,

To determine what’s theirs and what’s mine.

Do we read the same paper? Do we hum the same notes?

I see others paint their lines.

I untangle the knots from the web of hot takes,

Friends of time or friends of like mind?

What if I say, “Make America Great!,”

Do I step in unflattering light?

If I say, “I’m pro-life,” if I say, “save them all,”

Do you say that I’m wrong or I’m right?

Stand your ground and speak your truth,

From critics we rise above,

But whether you know it or not, dear one,

Your opinions offend someone you love.