Assumptions, Assumptions!(C. Johnson) “I befriended a thug the other day,”
I said to my darling little sister, Mae.
“A thug?” she asked.
“Yeah, a thug,” I said.

Jing!!!
“Why would you do such a thing?
Do you want to wring?
Your little sister darling?
To do such a thing,
You were sure controlled by a string!”

“No Mae!” I yelled very loud,
So loud that my words could gather a crowd.
“He was very nice to me!
Thank you very much!
He smiled, he greeted, even offered food,
And such!”

“You’re such a liar,
You’re not telling the truth!
It must be your hormones,
Your delusions,
Your youth!”

“Why don’t you believe me?
I am telling the truth!
Don’t you see me?
You’re bringing me ruth!”

She looked at me
Observantly,
Being careful not to offend.
Then she began to speak
To further her own end:

“A thug is really bad,
An evil, little lad!
If I met a thug,
I’d become very mad!”

“Mae! Just because a person’s bad,
They don’t make me mad!
Just because someone’s bad,
Doesn’t mean they don’t have
The ability to think of something
That won’t make you mad!”

I continued:
“Everyone is capable of doing bad
And to make people mad,
And do good, in order
To lighten the mood.

“We all have a bad side,
Somewhere on the inside.
We just chose not to show it,
Since it can be inappropriate.
But just know, Mae, that everyone has
A good side and a bad side.”

“Why do you have to be the person
Who points out the bad in another person?
He did never did anything,
Get it? Sister, darling?
He may be a thug, and sure he may be bad,
But just remember that we can all be that bad.”

I continued:
“We are only human,
Bad is a big part of our numen.
. . . Sheesh!
As if a good thought
Couldn’t be in his head
. . . Are there any good thoughts in yours?”

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