“The smallest act of kindness is greater than the grandest intention” – Oscar Wilde

I once wrote a poem about being a slacktivist

because I was never really an activist

I pretended to be the shit

but I was just a big fat hypocrite

completely pretentious

pretty contentious

but I had the greatest intentions of making the world a better place

and it’s the intent that counts right?

I never went on any marches

didn’t scream from any arches

I didn’t volunteer

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

but one act of contrition

I signed and shared the odd petition

which obviously convinced HS2 to call it a day.

I didn’t rest

wait for it, I went on one protest

thinking it would make me feel like a king with a crown

protesting the murder of Michael Brown

waiting for the prestige to abound

lying on the cold, muddy ground,

holding up cardboard signs

for some strange, unknown reason,

and, even though, I beat my chest,

it was all pretty pointless

because I felt like a bit of a twat

I did not stop police brutality, let me tell you that

you could just ask Eric Garner or Breona Taylor or George Floyd

At least I helped my ego

helped me feel like I had some done something

when really I had done nothing

I had just pretended to care

when I wasn’t really even there

Maybe I never did enough

and maybe that’s just tough

because I had no accountability

as it was never my responsibility

it’s up to the government

the corporation

they caused the devastation

And I never tried too hard

because I was a lah-di-dah bard

walking around with my head in my clouds

or up my arse

writing about class

or Grenfell Tower

fighting the power

telling you to look into the sun

for something else, something more

but what for?

To be an SJW white saviour preaching from my ivory tower

being offended on your behalf

saving you from your own oppression

because you gave the impression

of being a defenceless minority

in desperate need of my help

plus I need to offset my privilege

with a little or a lot of overcompensation

and I will add to your frustration

by performing meaningless gestures

like changing my profile picture to a rainbow flag

or posting a black square on Instagram,

but maybe by saying that I’m letting my hate fester

and I need to do better

than writing meaningless poetry about racism

#myethnicityisnotavirus

but the true crisis

was I didn’t realise

I don’t need to change the world

to change somebody’s world

in the smallest possible way

day by day

and that’s what we can all do

me, him, her, you, you and you

be the change you want to see

I know that’s corny

and you’re just one person

but for certain

you can make a difference

in the smallest sense

you don’t have to cure cancer

or bring world peace

or stabilise the Middle East

you can just do a bit more than sending #thoughtsandprayers

Be proactive

don’t be reactive

use your initiative

don’t be performative

help other people

regardless if you get the adulation

or congratulations

drop the expectations of being thanked

because you’re doing it to be kind

so go find a good cause

not just for the round of applause

take that to heart

and play your part

because it’s with collective action

not reaction

that we can make the world a better place

Everybody wants change

but nobody wants to change

and if everybody who said “I’m just one person, what can I do?” Actually did something

Maybe, just maybe,

we could change everything for the better.