Love

Beneath the surface, the same wanting

Love — a poem by Pemba Umoja

All those people.

Those to the right.

And those to the left.

Those ahead. Those behind.

Those in the cars racing under the bridge.

That tough looking guy.

And that sweet little girl.

That man opening his car door.

Those smiling models on the billboard.

Those fast walking women in sneakers.

That man staggering without shoes.

The bus driver.

The guy riding a bicycle down the crowded sidewalk.

All those people. You. Me. All of us.

Under the arrogance. The toughness. The sarcasm. The wit. The aloofness. The wealth and the poverty.

Behind the brashness. The big egos. The corporate glass. The slang. The tattoos and the bow ties.

We all want.

We all dream about.

We’d all just about die for.

A poem by Pemba Umoja