Top of the Fence

I am NOT “wishy-washy!”
I WANT to sit here on the TOP of the fence
rather than jump down to either side.

What an AMAZING view up here!
I don’t want to ever leave.

Yes, I SEE you now!
Before—I could not.
How are you?

Yes, I remember where I was,
I love you, too.
I’m not leaving, abandoning, or rejecting you
I AM you.

But I am the “other,” as well.

Yes, I feel your pain.
I now understand your journey
with life,
why you are where you are
on the other side of the fence,
from…

where I used to be.

I’ll never go back!
I LIKE sitting here
on the TOP of the fence.

There’s room for you to join me…

© 2020 gratefulsue

back to Authenticity and Empathy

September 29, 2021
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This poem’s indentations indicate whether the fence-sitter is addressing those on his/her left, his/her own position in the middle, or those on his/her right. We need more people who will try to understand, “why you are where you are, on the other side of the fence.” In so doing, the fence becomes less important and is sometimes taken down altogether, as we grow in empathy and compassion.

A common saying people use is, “You need to get off the fence.” By this they mean, “Decide what you want, or what you believe, and pick a side. Don’t be wishy-washy!” In other words, don’t be indecisive or half-hearted. Sometimes this is truly needful. As a matter of fact, I wrote another poem about that titled simply, The Fence (See the Faith and Gratitude page).

Yet, at other times, “Get off the fence!” is actually fear or control-based pressure, someone wanting to keep or add a person to his or her pet ideology, theology, or group. I can be guilty of having that feeling when I encounter a person who is not as committed to my personal views as I would like.

In a world where people increasingly love to build walls and fences, point fingers, and tell people to “pick a side,” we need more “fence-sitters.” Perhaps I should call them, “fence post listeners.”