A Small Thing

We are due for a change,
A lifting up of our masses,
Of ourselves.
We must use our large capacity brains,
One of nature's miracles,
For deeper thinking,
Empathy,
Understanding,
Compassion,
And love.

Our hearts have done all they can.

Our prayers,
Our well-considered thoughts,
Our condolences,
They are empty.

We cannot choose to throw up our hands in desperation any longer.

We can no longer simply shake our heads in disbelief.

Our miraculous existence,
Bourne from eons of tinkering,
Mistakes,
False starts,
Untimely ends,
Barbarous behavior,
And,
Ultimately,
Our tribal success and survival,
Is a result of our collaborative nature.

We have continued as a species,
In spite of our weak bodies,
Because of our creative problem solving,
Because we work together,
Which is similar to the herds of the Earth.

Animals cooperate.

It is good.

But perhaps it is our animal nature,
This uncharming propensity,
Instinctual and savage,
To cull the herd,
To turn our backs on the weak,
Recoil from the sick and injured,
Despise the slow and lost,
To bully the little guy,
That still causes harm today.

We cannot ignore the pain of those who are damaged and unable to fend for themselves.

We should look out for them.
We should look after them.
We take care of ourselves,
But we should also take care of one another.

If the downtrodden and disaffected,
The detached and delicate,
Are not given a hand,
Their sadness,
Their disillusionment,
Their misdirected rage,
Can and will manifest itself in ways that are unthinkable.

Except they are not unthinkable.

These things happen every day now.

Every day.

Reaching out with gentle hands,
With kindness,
A willingness to listen,
Building a network of love,
Of care,
Of concern,
Maybe this could change things.

Maybe helping others heal,
Standing with them,
Giving them the strength to face the roots of their pain and suffering,
It may not change everything,
But it certainly won't hurt.

Instead of ignoring those in distress,
We should lend them a steady hand.
We should reel them in,
Help them step back from the brink.

We should open our eyes and hearts,
And,
We should act.

Even the tiniest gesture can be a balm.

8-3-19