Something that was true in the ancient world And it's still true in our modern world Is that every great civilization has been built on the backs of slaves And what amazes me about this oft-ignored reality Is that despite man's tendency towards evil, towards his "self" I can still see his capacity for and I still have hope in his ability to do good And this reminds me of something That my mother always said when I was growing up She always said, "Don't let the glimmer of gold Shine brighter than the spark in your soul" That's something that's always stuck with me