E PLURIBUS EQUALITY

This poem is dedicated to the spirit of Salem's new Peace Mosaic 2011.

Courtesy: mosaicartsource.wordpress.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - It's Bigotry that makes us small, filling hearts with nought but gall,
Corrupting minds with seeds of hate, eclipsing freedom from its fate;

Look about and ye shall find those in our midst yet colorblind
Who elect to play the role of judging people by their soul;

These offer cause for celebration of human multi-variation,
Their mental outlook is divorced from having "their kind" reinforced.

Bigots blanket their deep fears; the rest, we suffer painful tears,
For there be not a place to hide for Anger's scapegoat, Apartheid.

Enlighten us. let's end the curse that has engulfed our universe--
May diverse nations, flags unfurled, form one Mosaic for our World!

NOTE:
This poem is dedicated to the spirit of Salem's new Peace Mosaic 2011

Salem-News.com Community Writer Barry Lee Coyne brings to our readers stories from his combined career of journalism and gerontology, and explains that these paths shaped his values. Lee Coyne once worked for The Civil Service Leader in NY State and covered the Legislature. He has also done features on mediation and arbitration, and believes in healthy skepticism. This writer-therapist often views the world as the masks of comedy and tragedy placed upon the scales of justice. For him, optimism inevitably wins. "Lyrical Lee" has traveled to 30 nations aboard and was once a press intern at the UN. His first published article was in The NY Daily News in '59, dealing with the need for integrity in public office.

He also launched the nation's first tele-conference on health education for shut-ins, created the Eldermentors project in VA to pair retirees with immigrant students needing role models, and was the main catalyst behind CCTV's "Public Public" panel show here in Salem. Lee received his BA in International Relations and an MSW in community organization. He currently serves as a member of Salem's Library Advisory Board. To send Lee an email, please write to this address: luckycoyne@yahoo.com