Why Am I Not Included? A Poem About Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

• Diversity means the presence of a difference in any given situation. There can be diversity in ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation etc.
• Inclusion is about people with different identities being made to feel welcome.

A good example of diversity and inclusion:

• Diversity is being asked to the party.
• Inclusion is being asked to dance.

Another term that should be included in any discussion about ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ is ‘equity.’

• Equity ensures that everyone is given equal opportunities to grow and showcase their skills and talents. Equity acknowledges that barriers and advantages exist in each person’s life and as a result, not everyone starts from the same place. Equity aims to correct this imbalance.

Why Am I Not Included?

I feel like an outsider,

Acceptance is just a myth.

Society’s the light that tempts,

I’m the moth that can’t get in.

I yearn to feel included,

To contribute to the cause.

But the barriers that block my way

Just make me stop and pause.

They say, “We’re all one people,

Our values are the same.”

Hypocrites will say these things,

But their actions are to blame.

Diversity’s the common goal,

But inclusion is the key.

It’s all just smoke and mirrors,

Don’t believe what you can’t see.

This club, you see, is quite diverse

And anyone can join,

But I am treated like a freak.

There are two sides to a coin.

Rules are broken, words are cheap,

Laws bent by privileged few.

I just want equal treatment

For the likes of me and you.

I have the drive, knowledge, and skill

To be anything I choose.

Being treated like a leper

Is the worst form of abuse.

Don’t break the laws, just bend them,

Stand up for equal rights.

Keep breaking down the barriers,

In the end, we’ll win the fight.

by John Hansen 2021

For more works by this author see John Hansen author page on The Creative Exiles.
https://www.creativeexiles.com/author/jodah/

You can also find great works by John on HubPages.
https://hubpages.com/@jodah

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John Hansen

Longtime poet but not in the traditional technical sense. I enjoy rhyme but like to experiment and dabble in many different forms and maybe even make up some of my own. There is always a message or lesson I want to promote through my writing, for that reason, my poetry generally shies away from the abstract and obscure.

After a lot of procrastinating I have finally self-published my first eBooks of poetry "I Laughed a Smile" and "On the Wings of Eagles" at Lulu.com.Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction.

I have also been fortunate to have two poems chosen to be made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.

I am also finding my services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.

It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years is now wonderful material for my stories and poems.

I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.

Latest posts by John Hansen (see all)

• Truth or Lies? ~ the Sonnet - February 6, 2021
• Why Am I Not Included? A Poem About Diversity and Inclusion - January 5, 2021
• A COVID-19 Christmas - December 18, 2020