By Jeremy David Engels on
a poem on mindful democracy
We hold these truths self-evident,
that all people are created equal and interdependent,
that everyone
— all races, genders, classes, sexual identities, religions, and nationalities —
belongs,
and can be truly happy,
and has something to contribute to the ensemble,
and deserves the opportunity to answer life’s ultimate questions in their own words;
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By Jeremy David Engels on
a poem on mindful democracy
We hold these truths self-evident,
that all people are created equal and interdependent,
that everyone
— all races, genders, classes, sexual identities, religions, and nationalities —
belongs,
and can be truly happy,
and has something to contribute to the ensemble,
and deserves the opportunity to answer life’s ultimate questions in their own words;
that in this endeavor life, liberty, and happiness are sacred,
and no one waste away from want,
when there is abundance.
When in the course of human events,
it becomes necessary to take a stand,
we stand on common ground,
practicing mindful democracy,
aware that the present moment is the only moment;
friendship not enemyship is our foundation;
affirmation not destruction is our politics;
love not hate is our motivation;
we act not for light and transient causes,
but for the eternal aim:
That we might be truly happy,
safe,
and at peace,
in this life,
together.
Jeremy David Engels is the author of the forthcoming book On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World (Parallax, February 2026)
