Shikata Ga Nai

“Shikata ga nai” is a Japanese term meaning “It cannot be helped.”

Please journey with me as I attempt
to be a small change needed in this world.
It is so much easier to look the other way,
or hurl insults at the homeless standing on the median,
sign in hand, begging for change.
Compassion should be first and foremost, not feel strange,
doing our part as we stroll through the park,
picking up garbage along the trail, even in the dark.

Sitting in a restaurant beside a family of five,
the two oldest bickering back and forth, so alive—
be the change, and instead of muttering slyly,
mocking the parents as if they should have stayed home—smile shyly.

When did it become easier to feel high and mighty,
to sit on a throne, shake our finger, and act almighty,
to think we are better than another human?
That is so inhuman.

“Be our brother’s keeper” should be our calling, and we should be eager to show compassion, to offer a helping hand.
Even the eyes of a child understand this demand—
if we could only see each other through the eyes of a child,
everyone would matter, no one would be defiled.

Gossiping,
cheating,
hurting,
yelling,
seeding doubts,
being a louse—
are these the gifts we want to leave behind?
Be kind.

Let us plant Forget-Me-Nots
to honour those who fought and gave their best shot.
There’s so much we cannot control,
things that cannot be helped as a whole.

But selling our souls to the devil—
that brings the playing field to another level.

Let us strive for humanity,
let us pray for unity,
accept what we cannot change,
and be the change we want to see.

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