BEHIND THE HATE

It is March

2021, and it seems everyone is talking about Hate. Interesting, I’ve just published my latest novel, HATE CRIMES.

The coverage of hate crimes amongst Asian Americans got me to write a poem:

Behind the Hate

I made a list

A list

A list of people who

Hate me

Yes, hate me

I asked –

I asked, what do these

These men and women

Have in common

They have

They have in common

A wish

A wish that I see myself

As they see me

As they see me?

Never happen

I sent the poem to my friend Marco Waarts. This was his response:

Behind hate is fear. Fear of missing out, fear of rejection, fear of vulnerability, fear of being less… and envy, the mirror to one’s own shortcomings. Hate distracts, hate justifies blame, hate justifies not having to grow. Hate causes disease, bitterness, a life not lived.

How they see you is an illusion; the illusion that they know; the illusion that they are right; the illusion that hate gives them the feeling of being alive. And by doing so, killing the life they could love instead.