A theory on conscience

An intangible element common to human existence

A negotiator for good and evil

The epicenter of human concern

Our universal language that resonates within us all

This binding force unbreakable

For its sustaining impact builds resilience

Take it or leave it, for power it does not lust after

Ignorance has its own price tag

Even collective coercion cannot redirect

As simple as the shared goal for survival

One foot balanced out acts for the other

So the trail may be walked

With no short cuts, no way around

As the individual that is touched flourishes

Born from the offerings of good conscience

Humanity becomes their masterpiece

-Camille Delaquise

This poem appears in Behind the Facade, Camille’s debut contemporary poetry collection. A theory on conscience speaks to conscience as a shared moral force — an inner compass that resists coercion, binds human lives together and makes ethical care the foundation of collective survival.