What is it in me that makes your perception of me
Why is including me just a means of excluding me
Is it I am not worthy of God's kiss because of this?
*Dalits is how I feel buried under these feeling
I dream of peace, love, and purity
But no one sees that in me
The list of my faults are long
I check the long list to try to change them all
But it is you that I wronged as my list goes on
Dalits is how I feel buried in the silence of unforgiven
But asking forgiveness is just a sin
But this is how I know my place just to fit in
No matter where I place my shoes, no matter where I sit
I look inside for my own forgiveness, but how do I do this
When anyone sees my struggles, they are pushed back on me
Dalits is how I feel buried under the sweepings of leftover life.
Living in the night always wrong, never right
Proudly claiming the last place inline
No matter what I do, it is never good enough
When done with so much care and love
Alone I hear the father's wisdom as the forgotten son.
Dalits is how I feel buried under blocks of guilt.
Used to build a wall of silence shut off from the guidance
The respect I give the respect I receive is like tasteless *sabjiyaan
©Copyright Thomas J. Dooley 2021
*Dalits the lost caste in Indian culture
*Hindi for vegetables
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