THE PLACE WE REQUIRE OF HUMANS

IN ECCLESIASTES; it states, "for everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven - a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to break down and a time to build up, a time to weep and a time to dance, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to seek and a time to lose, a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

The beginning of atonement is the sense of its necessity.

- Lord Byron

"Who will journey to the place we require of humans?" asks the poet Sonia Sanchez. This question from her poem "Aaaayeee Babo (Praise God)" has become scripture to me in recent months. I have read it and re-read it, reflecting on its implications for my life, longing to answer "I will. I will journey to the place we require of humans."

In the midst of this longing I also recognize in myself a struggle, a not knowing, a not being sure anymore what, exactly, the journey looks like, what the place is and what is required. But I do know in some instinctual, intuitive, spiritual, beyond words way of knowing that I need this question in my life. So I commend it to you: "Who will journey to the place we require of humans?"

Though I confess to not knowing, I am sure of one thing: we human beings, collectively, globally, are not in the right place now. Sonia Sanchez says it with her characteristic grace and edge: "This earth is hard symmetry/This earth of feverish war/This earth inflamed with hate/this patch of tongues corroding the earth's air."

As I sit here encased within my cocoon, and look out at the world, what has become of us as human beings? Where has our morality gone, our love for brother/mother and sister? Has our value system evaporated to the point of non-existence? Is the conscience within us dead? What do we require of each other?

Mankind has fallen into dismal action of misfeasance, as well as non-feasance, we have become so attracted to the notion of "ME, ME, ME", and "MINE, MINE, MINE", that we have lost our most fundamental of human qualities, love, morals, values, respect for others and self respect for ourselves. We are deteriorating to the lowest forms of life - there is more respect in the animal kingdom, than there is amongst mankind. What does that say for us?

This world is in perpetual action of malfeasance, non-feasance behavior, violence in our cities, towns and streets all over the world, innocence is dying at an alarming rate. Wars are being waged all over the globe, those wars are seen and unseen. Disease and starvation is rampant, and not just in third world countries, but here in the good ole U.S. of A. What does all this dissension and division accomplish us?

There will always be need for atonement for our actions, however, I honestly believe that we can control the necessity for that which we atone for. We must all be each other's keeper.

The Moorish American Prayer is one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever read, "In its simplicity."

Ye are the children of our father, provided for by His care, and the breast of one mother has given you suck. Let the bonds of affection, therefore unite thee, with thy brothers, that peace and happiness may dwell in thy Father's house. And when ye separate in the world, remember the relation that bindeth you to love and unity, and prefer not a stranger before thy own blood. If thy brother is in adversity, assist him, if thy sister is in trouble, forsake her not. So shall the fortunes of thy Father contribute to the support of his whole race, and his care be continued to you all, in your love to each other.

God has never abandoned us, nor will He ever. God has not given up on mankind but it seems that we've given up on ourselves. Where is that place we require of humans? More importantly, "Where is that place that we require of self?"

Marteze Harris #161543
Waupun Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 351
Waupun, Wisconsin 53963

Respectfully Yours,

Teze