This is not a place for the faint of culture
Or order
Or hygiene
Or poverty

Nonetheless, they should come

This is not a place for those
Who dislike the crush of a crowd
Who want a fresh coat of paint
Or a breath of fresh air

Nonetheless, they should come

This is not a place for those who believe
That people’s conditions reflect their choices
That there is one right way to live
Or one way to think

Nonetheless, come

This is not the place for them
Because their cherished values
Will be confronted
Every moment of every day

And that is why

You should come

Because this scene is neither
Remarkable nor unusual
It is mundane
Everyday

Most of the world’s people
Your brothers and sisters
Live out their lives
In scenes like this one

Or what you would consider to be
Much much worse

Scenes which appear
Dirty
Unkempt
Dilapidated

But if you don’t come
If you don’t spend quality time
With your human family
In their homes
You may never learn

The true beauty of this scene
And all the people in it

Nonetheless, they deserve better

From those of us
Who assume we have better
Because we are better

In no small measure
We have better
Because we’ve bettered them
But are superior in no other way

Than an accident of natal geography

It’s easier to see that
If you come

So if you are enabled
By conditions of privilege
To travel internationally
Privilege built in part on their poverty

You should come