Grieve as You Perceive
Look thru these deliverance-denied eyes:
You are now a child
from a land
beyond this land.
All you need is an altruistic hand.
What you get instead
is a jail bereft of a bed.
Look thru these deliverance-denied eyes:
You are now a cis woman
who demands autonomy
over your chosen decision
that never needs a politician’s
Iron-maiden-restrictive opinion.
Look thru these deliverance-denied eyes:
You are now a trans woman
who does not want to be seen
as a sexual suspect,
but all you get is the hard fists
of the phobic bigots in your midst.
Look thru these deliverance-denied eyes:
You are now non-white.
No matter the shade
DNA made,
racists in brigades
want an antebellum system
at the behest of a demagogue’s dictum.
Look thru these deliverance-denied eyes
and ask yourself how
a human heart does not
feel for the oppressed now.
~~~
by Bob McNeil
Copyright 2025
Cacti Fur 
This is a great thought-provoking piece Bob. Great job! The last question addresses those who should be more empathetic towards the myriad of groups you mentioned throughout. The unfortunate reality, however, is that there are still those who are unfazed by such enlightenment. Not surprisingly, those same unfazed individuals would expect the world handed to them in the event of having experienced a slight of sorts.
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Thanks for allowing us to see through your eyes if only for a few moments. You took me there. Nicely done.
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Another Beautiful, Powerful, and Poignant piece from the Immortal Bob McNeil!!!
A joy to read and experience as always!
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impressive and strong.
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“Brother McNeil never fails to share poems of expression that are deep in depth. It is an interestingly powerful piece.” ~Maxwanette A Poetess aka Maxine A. Moncrieffe
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This is amazing. I am always impressed by you! Love the rhyme and the message. Thank you for sharing your art.
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Didn’t want to cry but that was thrown out the window with this.
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