Against Neighbor

By Andrew R. Duckworth

“He who offended forgets, but he who suffered from the offense does not.”

Tswana Proverb

Everyone goes through a season,
And, occasionally, the world does-
A season of hardship, of suffering,
Everyone enduring a world of pain.
Sometimes, the world gives a taste
Of its unfettered potential
Of nefarious actions against
Unsuspecting victims.
I won’t soon forget the horrors,
The unspeakable hatred
That neighbor harbored
Against neighbor
During the height of the pandemic
And that many still do.