Waiting for Karma

Schadenfreude is a thing,
but it's not my thing.
I don't get joy 
from the misfortunes of others.
It's bad Karma,
and we all know
Karma can be a bitch.
I might wish for 
those I dislike to disappear,
but I never wish them dead.
I'm no saint;
I don't rejoice
when Karma steps in
with a vengeance,
but I have empathy
to feel their loved ones' pain.
I'm not into Old Testament retribution,
but I believe we reap what we sow.
Spew cruelty and hatred into the world
and eventually you will be covered in its muck.
I do not need everyone to love me,
but I try to spread kindness and love,
to make the world a better place
as I move through it.
I remember there, 
but for the grace of the universe,
I might be the one despised
for my skin or my faith or my sex,
hearing that I am not worthy 
because I am not what someone else
wants me to be.
I might find myself trampled by a mob
or staring down the barrel of a gun,
or taking a bullet from who-knows-where,
from someone who thought 
he had the right to make those decisions.
Waiting for Karma 
to turn the world right,
I do my part to help,
but it is exhausting.
I cannot do it alone,
so I reach out with love
and say, come, walk with me.
Remember, 
Karma is ours to create.

~Elise Skidmore ©2025