a quick revised version

Birds judge others by size, by shape, by feathers,

ever surveilling nervously in fear.

Humans judge others by size, by shape, and even

by hair or lack of hair, while claiming

more intelligence, more wisdom, more understanding.

We still hold primitive prejudices today

about the size and shape of human bodies,

about height, about weight, about colour of skin.

We still hold pride of hair akin to ‘sin’,

shaming its beauty as something to hide,

confusing ancient jealousies with spirituality.

(Overzealous religionists and the piously insane

added their misunderstandings to centuries

of ‘Shame and Blame’ oppression, harming bodies-

never the Creator’s wish nor love of God.)

We love beauty, celebrate beauty, yet still

we hate and hide beauty from sight.

Humanity swims in a sea of contradictions!

We still judge character, intelligence, abilities,

by body size, by shape, by skin, by hair.

Diversity is a gift of Nature, of Life, of God,

so why is there still such divisiveness in these

attitudes, beliefs, behaviours among us?

Why all the fuss about things like hair?

Male and female, both, whatever description

appear with many kinds of hair…

like natural, dyed, straight, wavy, black, blonde,

with styles chosen or required to wear…

Why must hair be worn short or long on old or young?

Why do we praise, criticize, ridicule, even condemn

based, clearly, on how we appear?

Why is pride, humility, defiance, messaged on heads?

Why are we obsessed with less or more weight?

How does human skin translate to hate?

Do we really wish to be ‘birds of a feather’

who must ‘stick together‘, the thinking, acting ‘look alikes’?

Why are differences seen ‘strange’ or feared?

What does that say about human intelligence?

What does that say about wisdom and understanding?

(Birds judge others by size, by shape, by feathers,

ever surveilling nervously in fear.)

August 17, 2025

Shelley A. Wilson

Haileybury, Ontario