Have we forgotten how
to stand with someone
without standing
AGAINST someone else?
I stand with you.
But know that
I also stand with
those who seem
the opposite of you.
I stand with those
you seem to oppose.
I stand with those
you seem to oppress.
So if you don’t
want to stand with me,
I understand.
But I stand with you anyway.
Standing in support
does not mean standing
in judgment or defense.
That would be an insult to you.
You’re very capable of being
the one who forgives first.
Newfound Lake,
9/7
I Stand With You,
A stance that does not polarize
but harmonizes, an essence
that does not divide
but unites in complex simplicity.
To stand with you is not to stand
against another, but to stand
for a higher principle—
that of universal acceptance,
without the baggage of judgment.
I stand with those
who seemingly stand against you,
not in opposition,
but in the spirit of bridging gaps
we didn’t even know existed.
I stand with those
who may not stand with me,
a neutral ground
in a world of shifting sands.
If you choose not to stand beside me,
that is your choice to make.
Yet, I still stand with you—
in the hope that someday
we all might stand together,
unified in diversity,
an orchestra of souls
making a cosmic symphony.
There’s power in standing,
not just with but for,
for in that very act
we become a beacon—
no judgment, no defense,
just an open hand
extending an eternal olive branch.
May we all be that hand,
may we all be that stand,
may we all be that unconditional space
that fosters universal grace.
I stand with you,
and in doing so,
I stand with all.
And that’s the most
empowering stand of all.