Contagious Philosophy and Perspectives

POETRY FOR INCLUSION

Song About Summer/Adobestock

We live in a world in which the philosophy of embracing our brothers and sisters of diverse backgrounds and perspectives with love has often fallen on deaf ears. I would like to introduce an African philosophy that emphasizes the importance of humanity. I recently learned the word "ubuntu." It has multiple translations, including “I am because we are” or “humanity toward others.” I embolden all communities to adopt and reflect on this philosophy that promotes kindness, compassion, and respect.

Hopefully this poem fosters reflection.

Constricted heart expand your

capacity to pump agape love to all

nations.

Ubuntu

Embolic lungs seek anticoagulation

filled with humility and

understanding to exhale peace.

Ubuntu

Myopic eyes refocus your

grandiose lenses coated with

confirmation bias replacing them

with paradoxical cataracts of hope.

Ubuntu

Anhedonic abdomen be

courageous to digest diverse

perspective food particles that

absorb knowledge and wisdom.

Ubuntu

Hyperglycemic palate divest

from the casteism candy narrative

and ingest humanity sweetener.

Ubuntu

Dr Clark is associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville and medical director and division chief for Adult Inpatient and Consult-Liaison Services for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Prisma Health - Upstate. He served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry, and he currently serves as the Diversity and Inclusion section editor and advisory board member for Psychiatric Times^TM.