Source: Lyrics/Word Working Lyrics/My Souls Reflection in Other People's Eyes/My Souls Reflection in Other People's Eyes.docx
Plain text | Download Word doc | Word Working Lyrics index
My Souls Reflection in Other People's Eyes My souls reflection v2 I have witnessed hate in the faces of racism in the mouths of fear in the hands of phobia I have watched people turn whole lives into symbols into threats turn people into something less than human And I stand here a stranger to it fifty years of life and hate has never made a home in me I have known anger I have known hurt I have known despair I have known grief but never that hardening never that hunger to make another soul smaller so I could feel safe Maybe that is why it feels so unreal how easy some can trade another person’s humanity for belonging for certainty for fear dressed up as truth I do not understand hate but I have seen what it does how it flattens a life how it closes the eye how it turns a person into a wall Still something in me refuses I will not call that weakness I will not call that blindness if hate is learned then maybe this is something else something unbroken something that still sees And I do see I see the wound beneath it the fear beneath it the pain looking for a target I know what it is to turn against myself I know what it is to try to change in order to survive myself I know what it is to carry what feels unbearable I did not fully hate myself but there were parts of myself I could not accept and I turned that discomfort into action and attempted transformation I met what was hard in me and by going through it I learned how to recognize pain more truthfully What I once fought in myself became part of what taught me how to recognize pain in others without meeting it only with fear or anger What I once turned inward I have seen others turn outward I have seen my soul’s reflection in other people’s lives I have witnessed hate turn fear into armor I have witnessed hate turn pain into a target I have witnessed hate turn a wounded self into a weapon I have witnessed hate turn fragile certainty into cruelty dressed as truth But seeing is not surrender understanding is not becoming compassion is not blindness and I refuse the harm I have seen hate all around me and still it has never made a home in me Eyes I have witnessed hate in the faces of racism in the mouths of fear in the hands of phobia I have watched people turn whole lives into symbols into threats turn people into something less than human And I stand here a stranger to it after fifty years of life I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me Maybe that is why it feels so unreal how easy some can trade another person’s humanity for belonging for certainty protecting their insecurities as fear dressed up as truth I do not understand hate but I have seen what it does how it flattens a life how it blinds how it turns a person small Still something in me refuses empathy is not weakness compassion is not blindness to it all this is something different something unbroken something that still feels I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me I do see I see the wound beneath it the fear beneath it the insecurities they hide the pain looking for somewhere to place blame I know what it is to turn that against myself I know what it is to not want to try to change I did not hate myself but there were parts of me I didn't like I could not accept and I turned that discomfort and pain into action I met what was broken and was transformed by going through it In order to survive I learned how to recognize pain more truthfully what I once fought inside became part of what taught me how to recognize pain in others without meeting it with fear, anger or disregard What I once turned inward I have seen others turn outward I have seen my soul’s reflection in other people’s eyes I have witnessed hate turn fear into armor I have witnessed hate turn their insecurities and self-doubt into a need to place blame I have witnessed hate turn a wounded self into a weapon I have witnessed hate turn their fragile certainty and internal pain into cruelty dressed as truth But empathy is not surrender understanding is not forgiveness compassion is not blindness and I refuse the harm hate can do I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me It has never found a home in me Eyes I have witnessed hate in the faces of racism in the mouths of fear in the hands of phobia I have watched people turn whole lives into symbols into threats turn people into something less than human And I stand here a stranger to it after fifty years of life I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me Maybe that is why it feels so unreal how easy some can trade another person’s humanity for belonging for certainty protecting their insecurities as fear dressed up as truth I do not understand hate but I have seen what it does how it flattens a life how it blinds how it turns a person small Still something in me refuses empathy is not weakness compassion is not blindness to it all this is something different something unbroken something that still feels I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me I do see I see the wound beneath it the fear beneath it the insecurities they hide the pain looking for somewhere to place blame I know what it is to turn that against myself I know what it is to not want to try to change I did not hate myself but there were parts of me I didn't like parts of me I could not accept and I turned that discomfort and pain into action I met what was broken and was transformed by going through it in order to survive I learned how to recognize pain more truthfully what I once fought inside became part of what taught me how to recognize pain in others without meeting it with fear with anger or disregard What I once turned inward I have seen others turn outward I have seen my soul’s reflection in other people’s eyes I have witnessed hate turn fear into armor I have witnessed hate turn their insecurities and self-doubt into a need to place blame I have witnessed hate turn a wounded self into a weapon I have witnessed hate turn their fragile certainty and internal pain into cruelty dressed as truth But empathy is not surrender understanding is not forgiveness compassion is not blindness and refuse the harm hate can do I have seen hate all around and still it has never found a home in me It has never found a home in me