Two Countries Speak

<I>Two Countries Speak: Poems and Remembrances</I> is a rendition of poems and reminiscences showcasing author Joyce P. Nightingale-Holder's early life in Barbados and her current experiences in America. </p><p><b>BLINDFOLDS</b></p><p>We wear our blindfolds <br>Blindfolds of many colors. <br>Like sunglasses of convenience <br>With tinted lenses fashioned to our fancy<br>That sometimes hide what's painful to acknowledge. </p><p>From time to time<br>Conscience removes the blindfolds<br>And therein lies the book. <br>The book of fears and prejudices<br>The book of challenges<br>Bigger than friends <br>Bigger than family <br>The book of self<br>A workbook we all must engage<br>Each day every day. </p><P>Do we dare show <br>The pages of our foibles? <br>And stand exposed for prying eyes to witness<br>Can we be bold and shift the paradigm? <br>Or put the blindfolds on and walk away <br>Will we accept discomfort to know <I>truth</I><br>Or will we stay within the realm of familiar?</p>