Like a lotus plunging to the surface of a pond to embrace t… - Suzy Kassem

Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the welder, the doctor, and the environmentalist — not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.

Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem · May 15, 2011 Verified in 1 source Sign up to see the complete provenance

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A lion does not flinch at laughter coming from a hyena. A gorilla does not budge from a banana thrown at it by a monkey. A nightingale does not stop singing its beautiful song at the intrusion of an annoying woodpecker.

FORKED BRANCHES

We grew up on the same street,
You and me.
We went to the same schools,
Rode the same bus,
Had the same friends,
And even shared spaghetti
With each other's families.

And though our roots belong to
The same tree,
Our branches have grown
In different directions.
Our tree,
Now resembles a thousand
Other trees
In a sea of a trillion
Other trees
With parallel destinies
And similar dreams.
You cannot envy the branch
That grows bigger
From the same seed,
And you cannot
Blame it on the sun's direction.
But you still compare us,
As if we're still those two
Kids at the park
Slurping down slushies and
Eating ice cream.

Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun (2010)

Like a lotus plunging to the surface of a pond to embrace the light from its muddy darkness, truth always rises with time. - Suzy Kassem

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