love of humanity

our p.o.t.e.ntial

our p.o.t.e.ntial

 

 

 

we feel the same/differently

alone or isolated

invisible or overly scrutinized

confident or hesitant


we each strive to learn/share 

to transform

to act

to become made new

to be free/emancipated/liberated 


held back by their/our

perceptions

limitations 

expectations

constraints 

externalized fear/internalized self-hatred  


that shameful indoctrination/miseducation

constricts 

restricts 

confines

reduces

our imaginings


our vision narrowed by 

hard-learned lessons 

obsolete ideologies

backward-looking assumptions

unfit-boundaries

unjustified scorn


the shackles of the centuries-long near past obscuring both what we knew and what we will come to know

we seek healing 

but old wounds are reopened or new ones inflicted 

we seek belonging 

but receive intolerant impersonality fueling suspicion which must be quelled 


and then we came together 

inspired by a vision 

inspired by a voice 

sadie oglesby 

she spoke through 

called us together to obey the guardian’s desire 


all the rainbow shades of human

blacker than black 


who came to the faith to make a change 

in ourselves 

in our homes 

in our communities 

in our world 


we came together 

blacker than black 


learning loving agreeing questioning moving always moving 

we heard what others are doing 

we shared what we are trying 

we received with gladness with tears with inspiration 


there's something for everyone that inspires us 

to leave behind limits 

to reframe limitation as liberation 

to see the guidance as lifting rather than too lofty 


we stand we walk we soar 

we strive we work we serve 


& through this action we become our p.o.t.e.ntial 

the conduit of light 

through the window to the soul 

the passageway for transformation for everyone 

for all for the world 

for love of Bahá'u'lláh


together 

blacker than black

pupil of the eye 

 

geri lynn peak


created 6/23/2020

revised 9/28/2020

 

published on FB and at postpoems.org 9/29/2020

Author's Notes/Comments: 

in response to ARISE:Pupil of the Eye conference 2, Juneteenth 2020

 

Inspired by quotatios from 'Abdu'l-Baha:

"Thou art like unto the pupil of the eye which is dark in colour, yet it is the fount of light and the revealer of the contingent world."

 

O thou who hast an illumined heart! Thou art even as the pupil of the eye, the very wellspring of the light, for God’s love hath cast its rays upon thine inmost being and thou hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom of thy Lord.
Intense is the hatred, in America, between black and white, but my hope is that the power of the Kingdom will bind these two in friendship, and serve them as a healing balm.
Let them look not upon a man’s colour but upon his heart. If the heart be filled with light, that man is nigh unto the threshold of his Lord; but if not, that man is careless of his Lord, be he white or be he black.