Before all of this.

Before all the anger and fear, disharmony and divisiveness,
name calling and judgment.
Before all of this,
you were just you
and I was just me,
tiny sparks of life –
living.

Before all of this.

I must remember you before I met you,
before I heard of you, or read your Tweet.
I must remember you before I knew you,
before any labels of other, different or enemy could be applied –
and stick.

I must remember you before all of this,
when you were new to the world;
simply love in expression.

Before all of this.

If I can remember you then,
before all of this,
then I can love you before we meet.
If I can love you before we meet,
then I can find common ground, work peacefully for change, discuss rather than argue,
heal and forgive,
and love on,
after all of this.

So, for my sake and yours,
and for all those yet to come,
I will go back
and love you –
before all of this.
So that when we do meet,
and maybe disagree,
I will already know how to love you,
through all of this.