Brother, can you spare the time?

Can you take a moment to think
About the Rohingya of Myanmar
Persecuted by his own leader
Knocking at the door of a neighbor 
With too many of its own mouths to feed

Can you say a prayer for the Uighur
At the mercy of a great power
That wants to treat his faith
Like a mental illness, to be cured
By locking him up in a concentration camp
 
Can you spare a thought for the Syrian
Whose town was destroyed by his leader
And the coalition of his so-called friends
Who have turned their backs on him
After he lost everything to ISIS

Can you shed a tear for the Yemeni
Who’s become the victim of a proxy war
Between the two great powers of Islam
That choose to kill, maim and starve
Those whom the prophet called their brothers

Can you find sympathy in your heart
For the hard-working Venezuelan
Forced to leave her beautiful land
Because an incompetent dictator
Cannot loosen his grip on its riches

Can you try to feel the pain
Of the poor families from El Salvador
Split up at our border, their children in cages
Because our angry, heartless demagogue
Wants to fan the fire of his followers’ false fears 

I know the brave lady with the torch
Who once embraced the huddled masses
Is herself locked in the embrace
Of a cruel, ugly, amoral monster
Who has you convinced they don’t need you 

But brother, can you spare the time?