Humane Behavior

He talks of love

Showered by people

Of his youth

And the hearts

Shown by brown folks

Of the streets

Now there are a few

Who say they're white

And he's outside

They can't hear his voice

Or the knock

On their tainted windows

His friends insist:

"Conform! Play the game"

So he lets himself adapt

And starts becoming uncaring

Til he realizes, "No,

Some place in the universe

There must be standards

Of human decency"

So he stays home mostly alone

Protecting a sacred legacy

Like a sweet, endangered

Mother tongue

From corruption

Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

5-15-00