What if No One Told the Ostrich

What if no one ever told the ostrich that she couldn't fly?

Would she spread her wings and take off in the bright blue African sky?

And what if no one told the lion that he didn't like to swim?

Would he still stand by the water's edge? Or would he dive right in?

And what if no one told the tree he had to stand in place?

Would he ever dare unearth his roots and travel far away?

If we never told those little kids they'd never leave the hood,

That basketball's the only way and son you're not that good?

And what if no one told little boys it was football over art?

That cooking wasn't manly and it's weak to share your heart.

When we see a young boy crying if we didn't point and snicker?

Would he be as quick to buy a gun, take aim, and pull the trigger?

What if no one ever taught me

Here’s how real men drink their coffee?

Would I still feel insecure to try a soy vanilla latte?

If we didn't tell the women beauty only looks one way?

Would teenage girls still starve themselves cuz they think they're overweight?

And if we never told them it was beauty over brains?

Would we have a cure for cancer instead of more mascara stains?

And what if Barack had listened when they told him "Learn your place."

"Only white men can be president. Boy don't you know your race?"

And what if no one told the children different should be hated?

What if we said diversity was to be celebrated?

Our world could look much different if we didn’t say this stuff.

If we said that being kind meant so much more than being tough.

If we didn’t step in line to just regurgitate the lie

There might come a day when we would finally see an ostrich fly.