Label.

They saw him walking on the street,
singing along to the music within,
his soul alight with a secret beat.
He didn’t say or do anything to offend,
yet they accused him of many a sin.
To them, he wasn’t a person – just a fable,
Reduced by their narrow perspective to a label.

They saw her dancing at a friend’s home,
shaking her arms like a child in a dream,
her spirit soaring above the human dome.
She was merely living in the moment,
yet they alleged she was in the devil’s team.
To them, she wasn’t human – just a flying cable,
Trapped by their insecurities into a formless label.

They didn’t see the birds he fed each morning,
or the old men he talked to at the park,
his company soothing many a souls’ mourning.
Being rich and famous was not his fault,
yet they aimed to malign his image utterly stark.
For they didn’t want to sit down at reality’s table,
they only saw what fit their narrow label.

They didn’t hear the laughter she effortlessly spread,
or the true rumour that she was a loyal friend,
crossing oceans for those in need, and sharing her bread.
Being successful and brilliant wasn’t her folly,
yet they tried to make her spirit descend.
For their shame had rendered their minds unstable,
All that gave them joy and peace was their wicked label.

He had heard what they said about him,
and she’d seen the light they’d painted her in,
the rumours, the insults, the names so grim.
Yet he smiled knowing the truth can never be dimmed,
as did she, her response being a cheeky grin.
For their courage made them infinitely able,
to be true amidst the untrue, to rise above any label!