good in poetry

You can’t spell “compassion” without “compass”
because that’s what it is, that’s what it does.
When you don’t know where to go next,
head in the direction of compassion.
It might fail your wallet but
it will never fail the part of you
that some people choose to call your soul.
And who cares if you’re making a show of it?
Who cares if part of why you do it is to be seen?
Who cares if the good you’re doing is performative?
For humans, every single thing is performative.
We walk performatively, we eat performatively
we certainly have sex as performatively as we breathe.
Who cares if there are alterior motives mixed in there?
What matters is you’re trying your damnedest to be good.
They will scoff at the idea of being a
“social justice warrior” but I say, hell
that’s just the start
I’ll start as a social justice ensign
work up to being a social justice warrior
some day I will be a social justice barbarian!
I want to unlock all my varying potentials and
be a goddamned social justice berserker!
What could be a higher compliment than being
a warrior for the cause of social justice?
Maybe the hatred of those who’d scoff at the title.
Maybe that’s an even better badge.
Because you can’t spell “compassion” without “passion” either.
There’s going to come a day, some day, if you’re lucky, God willing
when you’ve seen so much horror and wonder
such suffering and joy that
you’re gonna realize
that’s what your passion is coming toward
the compass that is compassion.
You’re gonna find that little magnet inside you
it’s gonna line up with trying to help people suffer less
hate less and be less afraid and
you are going to be one hell of a warrior.
One hell of a warrior for social justice.
And you will be resplendent in your light.
You will do good work.
I believe in you.
Once you find that true north, you will amaze
even yourself, warrior.
Warrior. WARRIOR!