asking for love from strangers (to make a new america)

i don’t care how much money you make
or which side of the picketline you stand on
whether you’re chanting about “the 99 percent”
or trying to sort out how to deal with the bad PR

to me, there is no side
except the one where we are each
doing the best we can to survive
in the world we’ve built

and i’m asking you
whether you want to rebuild it with me

there is room at my table for you
whether your pockets are empty
or bursting

there is room at my table for you
whether you swipe EBT cards
or American Express

there is room at my table for you
whether your picture is in magazines
or mugshots

i’ll admit to you that i get nervous
thinking about our differences
and my palms may be sweaty
but i will still shake your hand

i don’t want our contrast
to keep us from touching

there is no room in my heart
for us to be enemies

and before anyone calls me generous,
understand that i am asking for much more
than money, or laws, or programs, or food

i am asking for your humanity
i am asking to share mine with you

right now, what i need
is for you to be willing
to sit with me, at a table
and share responsibility
however much or little power
it seems we have

i am asking for you to believe
just a little bit
that things should be different
that things can be different

i am asking you to decide
that you’re willing to be a part of it.