Declaration of Interdependence — Joe Pacheco

For the people of Ukraine:

Declaration of Interdependence

On this day
of celebrating
independence,
I declare
interdependence
a new truth
to be held
self-evident,
humanity
created free,
interdependent
on each other;

I declare
what defeats
and hurts
any human,
anywhere,
also defeats
and hurts me;

I declare that
suppression
in any corner
of Earth
suffocates,
narrows
the air of the
whole planet,

and I declare
that one day
the uncontrolled
emissions
of anguish
from those yearning
to breathe free
may vanquish
all of us

unless we free
ourselves
to declare
on this Day
of Interdependence:

“No one is safe
until all of us are safe
and no one is free
until all of us are free!”

Joe Pacheco