What if honesty were compulsory?

What if

every time we spoke to someone who was an asylum speaker

….a red scar appeared on our hand

every time we spoke to someone who is queer

…a rainbow smudge appeared on our arm

every time we met a person who is violently abused by their partner

…a dark circle appeared beneath our eye

every time we shook hands with a paedophile

…a green stain appeared on our fingertips

every time we looked into the eyes of someone who was homeless

…blue lines appeared over the veins of our face and neck

every time we spoke with an adulterer

…our lips turned purple

every time we sat beside someone whose yearly income was below $22, 516

…our feet developed a corn as from an ill-fitting shoe

every time we were served in a cafe or as a cleaner  by a person with a postgraduate degree from another country

… we lost out power of speech for 30 seconds

every time we met a billionaire

…we broke out in a sweat

every time we met a sinner

…our heart sighed with compassion

every time we looked in the mirror

…our body heaved with mercy

How might we re-organise our lives?

Imagine if the truths of who we are were borne by one another

What if we could see and feel who we are, and who we sit with, walk with, work with each day

Imagine if we all left physical marks on one another, the way our lives leave marks upon each other’s souls.