open in poetry

openmindedness is not an inherent trait
it’s like a muscle you have to work out
or else it atrophies
you have to keep going out there
into new situations and new places
with new groups of people and
remind yourself that even though they
seem different than you
they’re not that different than you
they’re just another kind of people
they wanna eat and sleep
they wanna not have to work too hard
they probably wanna fuck occasionally
everyone human is human just like you
but sometimes you have to go out there
just to remind yourself
no they’re not any different than you
just because you’re old now
just because you’d never run
across people like that when you were young
that religion that sexuality that ethnicity
go out into the world and
give your openmindedness a work-out
get that shit buff as hell
it isn’t something you’re born with
it isn’t something that just sticks around
you have to reinforce it
go out and live and
get those muscles strong
stay openminded