Alan L. Winters

LABEL-LESS

Judge me not on the color of my flesh.
I am not black nor white
But black and white
And all the colors in between.
Ignore the fact that my IQ
Is greater or lesser than yours.
They are only numbers,
Digital portions of meaningless labels.
If nothing remains below the knee
Or nothing below the wrist
Do you stare, look past, or look away?
Do you imagine parts that don’t exist
Or see the rest that is the whole?
Do you look upon the flesh and bone
Or look within the soul?
Why ask if I am X or XY?
Ask if I am human, or better yet humane.
Then ask yourself, “Am I the same?”