Judge Not A Person

A poem about looking beyond the surface and suspending judgement

Judge not a person until
You've lived with his heart,
His mind, his will
And the circumstances
He's had to go through and deal with
And until you've experienced
All the tragedies and strife
That he went through
In this thing called life
Judge not a person.

If you only felt the joy of his triumphs
If you only held his hand
During better days
Then you haven't dug deeper
Through the depths of his soul
And until you've done so,
Judge not a person.

If you only rejoiced
In the bliss of merry-making
And not during times
Of suffering
Did you really help him
When his strength was wavering?
And until you've done so,
Judge not a person.

Did you only savor
The blossoms of spring?
And you weren't there
When the autumn leaves
Were falling
Heartaches come
Hand in hand with the blessings
And until you understand,
Judge not a person.