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The Invisible by MIKE SHIFFER

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Like a ghost, I've grown invisible in an all-seeing culture.
Clad in gray, I'm out of sync with multi-culture.
As a child, I was told that all lives were equal.
So, I copied my betters and blamed other people.

Then rioters clashed with old-fashioned cops.
From infamous counterculture leaders, an idea sprouted.
They said, "A leopard must change his spots."
"Whose side is the leopard on?" I shouted.

The struggle rages as the winds shift.
Old jokes return to me, words I've come to regret.
Modern advocates inspire youth to a greater gift.
With words of wisdom, I'd tell them, "Don’t forget.”

Indifference is an Infectious disease, and the medicine tastes awful.
Oppressing the oppressor might feel good, but it’s not helpful.
Those lives I hurt matter and deserve restitution.
I am haunted by the shadows of bigoted institutions.
 

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