I Am Afraid
I fear the foolishness of man
That roars without a thought,
That buys the words false prophets sell
And keeps all wisdom caught.
I fear the darkness in the heart
That sanctifies the means,
That tears our ancestors apart
And plants hate’s poisoned seeds.
I fear the greed of humankind
That turns the world to gold,
That leaves the poor and weak behind
And treats each soul as bought and sold.
I am afraid to live in this world
That howls in vain: “Have mercy!”
Awake, Homo sapiens, my brother—rise!
Do not become
The gravedigger of Humanity.
I fear the face of hypocrisy
That chains the truth away,
With grand illusions on its lips,
It dances where the honest lay.
I fear religion’s rigid creeds
That cloud the human mind,
They dress themselves in majesty
And leave all reason far behind.
They speak beneath a sacred crown
As if their words were pure,
Then wipe their hands on ideology
And call the darkness truth.
I am afraid to live in this world
That howls in vain: “Have mercy!”
Awake, Homo sapiens, my brother—rise!
Do not become
The gravedigger of Humanity.
Awaken, Homo sapiens, brother—
Rise!
Do not you, too, become
The gravedigger of Humanity.