Social Justice

Social Justice, the concern of the century
Every gender, race, social class and history
embraced and treated without bias
but can all claim it as their reality?

It's one thing to preach and another
to practice or believe
in the end we all politely agree
From top to bottom flow policies
but they're just diversions created to last
only as long as their authors' political terms

Step into my classroom where
hormones fly like balled up paper
where different tongues represent different flags
where yellowing eyes and tattered hopes are life's norms
where from within our school's barred windows
We look out into the avenues of our nation's neglected
We look out through our barred windows

like our brothers and our fathers.

They didn't choose this.

They've been cornered  into
the dregs of society.   Stand-
ardized, compartmentalized
institutionalized,generalized
demoralized,     economized

Social Justice?
It must be taught and practiced
within our classroom walls
but it'll always be
in conflict at the heart of every child
and every teacher.
Yes, social justice is a must
but it's like the hazy horizon
We can see it in the distance,
We might even walk towards it,
but the morning sun always seems to rise
on yonder, far away from where we stand.
It's there, but never here.