she walks alone in the crosswalk

blistering tar permeating through her thin shoes

leaving a vague imprint on her pale feet

despair and heartbreak suffocate her.

 

but we do not see this for all we can do is mock

and ridicule and point our dagger-like fingers

our eyes peer at her and our glares leave a mark

similar to the burns etched on her delicate face.

 

these burns are what we see

not the story behind them 

not the agony or the grief

not the terror in her eyes

nor the aching in her heart.

 

Nobody 

nobody can be bothered to peel the layers

to see selflessness and bravery 

to understand and empathize with another.

 

how can this be expected though

when this world has nothing to do but talk

talk about appearances and actions 

and choices not involving us

not understood by us.

 

with all the judging engrained in our minds

attributed to media of all sorts

spread by people of every race, gender, and sexual orientation 

how can we suppress the judgements.

 

and how can we feel comfortable in our own skin

when we know judging is inherent

physical features are accounted for

derogatory terms fly at or past us left and right every day.

 

racism, sexism, slut shaming rule our lives 

we are classified by a separate entity

a piece of ourselves that make us a whole but don't define us

judged by our mere differences in appearances and thoughts and actions and feelings.

 

our minds are corrupted

programmed to behave a certain way

without this programming

without this incessant need to judge others

to make ourselves feel superior

what are we?