Divide

I judge, and I criticise and I scorn

At decisions that were made ages ago

Decisions that changed our lives—

Maybe for the better, maybe worse

Who am I to say?

I judge and I criticise and I scorn

But sometimes

I wonder what I would have done

If I had been there

If I would have chosen to kill

Or chosen to die for what I believed—

Right or wrong, who am I to say…

If I would have gone along with the crowd

Just to keep the little circle of peace around me,

Fought for a larger peace, desperately hoping I was right

Or if I would have been baking cookies

Away from the madding crowd

Or if I would have got caught between warring factions

Neither here nor there, unable to decide for myself

Unwilling to fight, so my circle of peace would be intact

And died an uncertain death.

I judge and I criticise and I scorn

But who am I to judge?

When I don’t know what I would have done

In their place

At that time

Who am I to criticise

When I might have been just like them

In their place

At that time

Who am I to scorn

I can’t judge what I think today

What would I have thought

In their place

At that time?

Who am I, when I might be

Worse than them?