Defending the vulnerable,
Not because he craves
Accolades or seeks to
Reserve a special place in
A public square with his
Name on it, but due to
His unshakable belief in
The human spirit and the
Resplendence of forgiveness,
Compassion, the realization
That no one is defined by
A single act but rather
Where their promise lies.
Every one of them
Huddling inside bland houses,
Emerging occasionally
To throw some meat
On the fire,
Or let the dog out,
Or start the car.
They’ll experience occasional,
Outsized moments of joy
When offspring arrive
With their offspring
To interrupt the
Stifling tedium.
Nothing to talk about
With the spouse.
Lurk in the garage
Drinking beer,
Working on the latest
Time-killing project
The neighbors will
Endure listening to.
Encompassing mediocrity,
Enforced sameness.
On the second floor of
A beige house,
A young woman writes
A poem.
One simple gesture,
Openly proffered without
Reciprocal expectation or
Ambiguous motive.
One kind action,
Quietly realized without
Longing for attention or
Thirst for recognition.
He arrived at the station,
Baggage in hand,
Destination awaiting.
You can’t treat people with
Kindness, they’ll take
Advantage of you.
You can’t trust others,
They’ll betray you as
Soon as they can.
You can’t talk to certain
People, they don’t understand
The truth.
You can’t change the world
Unless you believe
It can be done.
A group of young people
Converge on a summer camp,
Demonstrating to the world
That human beings
Can come together,
Heal long-standing hurts,
Forgive past trespasses,
Move forward positively,
Smile, trust.
All of them so similar,
Feeling the same things,
Dreaming the same dreams,
Enjoying each other’s company,
Bringing home a message of
Reconciliation and peace
To battle-hardened skeptics
Who have forgotten what
It is to love.
They gather in all
Corners of the world,
From small villages
To big cities,
From mountaintops to
Beaches to forests,
From living rooms to
Public spaces,
Young and old,
Light and dark,
Big and small,
Dancing,
Joyfully expressing
Their common
Humanity,
Celebrating
Harmony,
Peace,
Love.
Sing a song of hope and courage
For those who have not yet
Found their voices.
Dance a dance of elation and passion
In the name of those who
Deny themselves movement.
Dream a dream for those who
Have none yet and dare not
Speculate on such matters.
Illuminate the world with a
Glow of innocence, enthusiastic
Imagination personified.
A sublime, magnificent chronicle of
Inexorable change. Transcendent
Flourishing contraposed with
Dispassionate destruction,
Prolonged repose, implausible rebirth.
Still visible evidence of
Primordial epochs, vast eras
Recorded for posterity to examine.
All for nought for many of
Absolute surety, forbidden to
Acknowledge that it just is,
As it always has been, will be.
Let us enjoy it while we can,
An impossibly grand gift of
Improbability and chance.
I remember when I
Used to be someone else,
When I would do anything
Just to get along,
Stifle my voice so others
Could trample on me,
Pretend I was less smart
Than I really was,
Impersonate someone who
Was less capable than them,
Stroke their egos so they
Could feel stronger,
Let them tell me what
Was best for me or how
Things should be done.
