A house divided cannot stand;
I grew up in a house divided.
A felt sign perched in the yard
Announced it to the world.
The sign was etched with letters–USC vs. UCLA
To tatter its meaning.
But the division was deeper
Than 4 years of difference.
My mom grew up on the water.
She was one of three children.
She was the only girl.
She was discouraged from working,
She is a lawyer now.
She does not believe in giving handouts.
My dad grew up on food stamps.
He was one of eight children.
He was a first generation student.
He started his own business.
He does not believe in giving handouts,
He believes in giving a hand-up.
I do not know where that yard sign went.
I think we took it down a few years back
Even a faded red and blue sign
felt too real
Too honest
Too revealing.
For our house to stay standing,
Politics could not be a part of it.
A house divided cannot stand.
But what about a world divided?
Does the Earth still spin?
Does the Sun still shine?
Do the Birds still chirp?
Or are we too busy fighting to realize
The sun is shining too bright
And the birds are no longer with us.
A house divided cannot stand.
I wonder if my house is the exception or the rule
My parents are still married
I am one of three smart, gifted children
We love each other deeply
And that is why we can no longer talk freely
What happens to a world divided,
When family is not a factor,
When we are not legally bound,
When there is no love tying us together?
I see more and more yard signs
Every time I leave my home
There are dozens to a lawn.
Neighborhoods divided
By stretches of red and blue.
In the last election
My dad put up a new sign,
A blue one this time.
My mom quickly tore it to pieces.
A 10” by 10” strip of fabric
Has the power to divide
And we let it.
If we are not careful,
We will live in a world divided.
And we will all stand alone.
