Of No Less Equal Worth

one is born to tears of joy,
one to tears of shame
someone exclaims, "It's a boy!"
someone gives no name

one will learn to scrap and plea
one will learn to write
one will learn to duck and flee
one will stand full height

someone tells them, "You're my all",
someone barely sees
someone says, "No part is small",
someone devalues these

someone shares my date of birth
down to the clock's same chime
yet just another place on earth
seems like another time

the prince and pauper didn't chose
where they, in life, would be
a story of a clever ruse
for which all paupers plea

to step into another's shoes
for just a single day
if we could but all know this muse
then as the angels say:

they long to look into these things
this kind and cruel earth
to understand, beneath their wings
what constitutes our worth

they wouldn't know it is the same
from one home to another
based on discord of praise and blame
we find between each other

look up, look out, look all around
innately, let us see
that deep, inherent worth is found
in every person, free

one is born to hope for life
one to live with hope
someone reaches through the strife
to grasp our value's scope

one is born to tears of joy
oh let there not be shame
new life, a little girl or boy
may we all know their name