more and more it’s the small things
that touch my soul and awaken me
to the awesomeness of your humanity
and my own
the news of the day
when I can bear to watch or listen
offers detailed dramas
magnified images of war and greed
intolerance and grief
they pierce my soul
leaving me empty and discouraged
raging to break through the bonds
of my impotence
but in a camp of festering evil
my uncle a boy of 14
offers his daily bread to another whose hunger
cannot be assuaged
and in a town years and miles
away my great grandmother
drags herself from bed to suckle the babe
of another too sick to care
elsewhere children labeled feeble-minded
turn away from the finish line and victory
to comfort one of their own
who has fallen in the race
invisible kindnesses sprinkled like manna everywhere
offer sustenance when my panoramic planetary view
would leave me blinded and terrified
immobilized by dismay
like a flower that blooms against all odds
in the crack of the prison wall
I too can turn my face to a sliver of light
and find what I need to sustain my soul
as I summon the courage to offer
my own invisible gesture
to the world
from the heart, mind, and pen of Minx Boren
I remember writing this poem years ago, after reading about a Special Olympics event, where the children joined hands.… And then, reflecting back to stories I knew from my own childhood. Even though I am the one who wrote it, it’s still brings me to tears…and reminds me of the essentiality of kindness. Thank you Dennis Pitocco for posting this.
Powerful words, as always, Minx – we are delighted to share them, my friend!