kindness poems

Conscious Effort

It’s really easy to
Go with one’s baser
Instincts, it requires
No actual thought,
Just be rude or
Dismiss someone without
Worrying about it
For even a moment,
Look away,
Pretend you see nothing,
Feel nothing.
Kindness requires
More deliberation,
A conscious effort
To love and value
Yourself, others, the world,
A resolution to go beyond
Self-interest and
Offer peace and joy
To everyone.

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Sharing

Those who bear the burden
Of unusual courage,
Who stand in front
Of an advancing tank,
Or speak against the
Wrongs wrought by a
Corrupt despot,
Who don’t follow the
Standard rules set by
Authoritarians who have
No other aim but to
Keep them compliant,
Subservient,
Those are the people who
Recognize the immense
Pressure the machine exerts
On them when they go
Against the grain,
Advancing an unfamiliar
Alternative that scares
Tyrants to the core:
Empathy, sharing, peace.

Birds

The birds see me
Looking at them
From inside the house.
They don’t know what
I’m thinking,
Or maybe they do.

Reversing History

He closed his eyes and
Let go of the last vestige of
Humanity. A worship of the
Material, compassion
Succumbing to brute
Force of self-interest,
Fear, lust for power.

He opened his eyes and
Saw the opportunities to
Comfort, care, build a
Future of hope and love.
Growing expansively,
Openly, altruistically,
Reversing history.

Without Longing

One simple gesture,
Openly proffered without
Reciprocal expectation or
Ambiguous motive.

One kind action,
Quietly realized without
Longing for attention or
Thirst for recognition.

Inhabitants

Though from many different
Backgrounds and life
Experiences, they all share
A single unifying philosophy
Of being on your own,
Depending on yourself,
Becoming successful without
Any help from anyone,
Overlooking the elemental
Idea that we do not live in
Isolation but are more
Connected and interdependent
Than at any time in history,
That we don’t exist
In a vacuum but, rather,
Are all inhabitants of one
Fragile planet where we have
The choice of competing
Mercilessly, savagely
Preying on one another, or
Finding the compassion to
Help each other thrive.

Summer Camp

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.

Is Not

Retribution is not justice,
Anger is not reason,
Fear is not motivation,
Hatred is not justification.

Vulnerability is not weakness,
Love is not frivolity,
Kindness is not an afterthought,
Empathy is not unnecessary.

Personified

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.