Not hated

I was not hated
because of that
and cannot understand
how anyone was

I was not taught
that I must fear
that others would hate me
because of that

in simple days when I was young
and I would play in bright sun
fields of green and flowers bright
and simple joys of the young

I friends and I all would play
on every day joy had we
until the day where we would part
and I did go where they did not

I was taught by adults
what to believe and what was right
and what to do on a day
where the others still would play

of my friends someone come
and some others they would not
and the rift between us grew
and some would hate us because we did

and when we went we were taught
of the story of who we were
of the hatred that others held
and of all the violence our history held

taught of how others did hate
and some of us they would kill
because they did not understand
we were the same as our fellow man

our people hunted and driven forth
tarred and feathered and houses burned
cast into prison without charge
where the mobs would come and kill

and as I grew I did learn
of the truth of the words
I was hated for my beliefs
and persecuted because of them

there were jobs I could not have
and opportunities denied to me
places where I could not go
and many things I could not do

I was taught to understand
to be a friend of all mankind
to never hate for who they were
that we all my brothers be

no I do not understand
why they are hated because of that
and could never know how it was
to be hated because of that

but I have learned that hate runs free
and is done for many of the things
because of beliefs and differences
and of things we did not choose

oh that we might choose to be
full of love for everyone
accepting of the differences in
who we are and what we may be