I Still Believe

I grew up in church

I respect religion

But that doesn’t make my God any better than your God

I believe in people

Making decisions for themselves

Unless that involves picking up a handgun

And killing people

With that gun

I don’t believe in people who kill people

With guns

I believe in faith

Of human race

Until you hurt my family

I believe in hope

For my one-year-old

Who knows only

What we tell him

Who believes only what he sees

Who says hi to strangers on the street

Because he has placed every breathing human

As equal

I believe in learning from our children

As much as we teach them

I believe in freedom

To be equal but different 

In love, work, race, religion, class and health

I still believe

The world can be cruel

If you choose to take that view

Or the world can be kind

If you choose to make it that way

I still believe

After 30 years

In the goodness of people

Even after they disappoint me

I still believe.