The Golden Rule

What is it about this day and this age?
There’s so much hatred, there’s so much rage.
So little generosity and so much greed,
People caring only about what they need.

It used to be neighbor was there for neighbor,
Bartering their talents for manual labor;
Now every man is out just for himself,
It seems that manners are consigned to a shelf.

So much bullying goes on in our schools,
No one feels they must obey the rules,
And personalities too often are reflected in driving
Where impatience, intolerance, and road rage are thriving.

Where is the compassion, where is the love?
What on earth are people thinking of?
"You "dis" me and I’ll pull out a gun
And blast you straight to Kingdom Come."

The good is out there, it’s just hard to find,
And it weighs so heavily on my heart and my mind.
We need a new birth of the Golden Rule,
The one that we learned in Sunday school.

As you would have done, then do unto others,
For aren’t we all sisters and brothers?
We’re all in this game called LIFE as one,
Beneath the same moon, beneath the same sun.

We each have our dreams, we each have our needs,
And when we are hurt, each one of us bleeds;
And we each have a mind, a heart, and a soul,
Loving each other should be our first goal.

So tomorrow ’fore sun’s first light falls on our eyes,
Let’s take time to reflect before we arise;
Let us decide to live life by the Golden Rule,
The one that we learned in Sunday school.

Let us treat others with love and respect,
Because isn’t that what we all would expect?
Let us sow kindness, and let us sow love,
So that we will make proud our Father above.

Linda E. Newman ©
All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Read more of Linda's poetry  Here