Community Shredding Day

There they stand, in wary lines,
Clutching to their hearts,
Or in tightly gripped bags,
Bank statements, bills,
Tax returns, certificates,
Credit reports, checks,
And even junk mail.

But how much more we cling
In our innards to biases,
Racial and cultural,
And prejudices and
Rank intolerance,
Political and religious,
Demonizing the rest.

It is these, not bits of paper,
That need to be gouged out,
Shredded and burned.
But we hoard them dearly
In the nooks of our souls,
Glossed over by the mask
Of political correctness.

© Abie Alexander
Shillong, India  January 28, 2022