The ties that bind
In our house
On our street
In our neighborhood
And in our town, city, province, country
All those points
Where we bind together
Where we agree
We are the same
Get looser and looser
As we choose
To let more in
Accepting, welcoming, loving.
A community at peace.
And when we choose not to open our arms
and loosen those binds
Fearing, distrusting, hateful
We tie the binds tighter
Choking out more and more
Leaving fewer and fewer
We can accept in our town
In our neighborhood,
On our street
And in our house.
And we suffocate
In self-imposed loneliness
A community in strife.