Telephoto Zoom

 

Our view of life and the people around us determines the future. Our children and grandchildren will learn from us. If we are racist or bigots they will pick it up. If we are caring and compassionate they will learn that as well. Most of us see life through a very narrow lens. I have heard people say, if you ever visit a third world country, you will never be the same again. A broader view of the world brings change. Perhaps this is why we find life so challenging in our ever changing global society. Many people, including myself, find change difficult to accept.

I focus my life through a telephoto lens

Edging back and forth depending on my mood

Standing back to get a wider view

Still only seeing what’s in my lens

There’s a whole world out there

Behind beside above and below

Yet I only see life through my skewed view

Drawing in what I really want to see

Ignoring those I don’t care about

Pulling back to include a few friends

Focusing in to ignore the rest

No wonder it is so heard to hear the cries of the poor

The pain of the displaced or the drowning refugee

Life’s so much easier with my telephoto-zoom

Armchair quarterback with a clear but limited focus

Zooming in while the whole world cries out around me

Stay focused it seems so clear to me

Some say I need to change my lens

Widen my focus for a broader panorama

No, much easier to be self-absorbed with a telephoto view

Changing lenses would be much too inconvenient

The older I get the more I am sure of my view

Stay focused

Wear the blinders

Indifference my greatest sin

Life goes on