Her actions negatively
Impacted them but
When they politely
Brought it up to her,
She took offense and
Blamed them,
Unable to admit fault
Or take responsibility
For her own behavior,
Leaving it unresolved,
As with much else
In her life.
A certain kind
Of pressured energy,
Dissatisfied agitation,
Surety of conviction.
Something didn’t go right,
Perhaps terribly wrong,
At some point,
The marks still evident.
A closing of the mind
To beauty, possibility,
Hope eclipsed by
Grim determination.
A fresh perspective,
Transcending discontent,
Revealing a new path
To compassion.
A sudden rush of
Self-inflicted everything,
Unstoppable motion initiated
By the realization that
We’re at the point where
Change is welcome and adventure
Alluring, the hum of possibility,
New experiences to become
Part of our story.
He’s spent most
Of his life wishing
For a time when
Everything would be
Different, a reprieve
From mundanity, failure,
A mostly tepid existence
Tinged in grey.
Today is the day it all
Changes, unless he has
Anything to say about it.
By all outward appearances
He had everything:
Huge mansion,
Vacation home,
Midtown apartment,
Fancy cars,
Private plane,
Yacht,
Perfect family,
Business empire,
More money than he could ever spend,
But it had cost him a lot.
He’d wake up at night
Wondering what it all meant,
Why the hole was never full,
Pervasive sadness,
Until he decided to start helping others,
People he didn’t even know,
For no reason other than being nice
And building a better world,
Kindness saved his life.
A full-time
Warehouse worker,
Unable to pay
Some outstanding
Parking tickets,
Finds himself in
A jail cell,
The full force of the
Judicial system
Against him.
An investment banker
Devises a scheme
That destroys
Countless lives,
Extinguishes untold dreams,
Bankrupts the country,
Enjoys a cool drink
By his pool,
Immunity in
Full force.
A cool mist brings
Down the temperature,
Filling each breath
With refreshing moisture
As we walk on the
Green, saturated earth
In what feels like a
Hidden, primordial place,
Far away from civilization.
We talk with each other,
Interested in what’s going on,
Sharing stories about everything,
Our deepest hopes and worries,
A natural ebb and flow,
Unedited, uninterrupted, easy.
Exciting ideas appear,
Old ones modified or left behind,
New branches, leaves, flowers emerge,
Our dreams taking hold,
Continuing the conversation.
I remember as a child
When I had to have
Minor surgery and,
As I was recovering
In the hospital afterward,
Receiving lovely cards
From my classmates,
And having various
Smiling faces visit,
Providing comfort
At a vulnerable moment,
Unsolicited
Acts of kindness
That made
Such a difference.
