Community

Friendship Unequalled

Friendship

Variable in intention and

Availability to communicate

Some may be taken for granted

Others viewed as a tool

Or benefit

A precious few

Give, understand

Without explanation

And love you

For the person you are

The person you endeavor to be

And the one, you will never be

I give thanks to the universe

For our friendship

Having survived the test of time

Even with the absence of communication

There is at its core

A beating heart, always mindful

Which, upon signaling

Increases in cadence

In preparation of what

Might be

A laugh, the gift of time

To listen, or a helping hand

You are the precious

The one of few

That is there upon calling

Understands without explanation

Honest and true

And for that

I thank you.

the server

A beautiful evening

Driving to a favorite venue

Friends reunite after years apart

Looking forward to sharing experiences

And getting a fresh start

A traffic snag

Our timely arrival delayed

No matter, we were greeted warmly

Please be seated, don’t dismay

Your server is eager to meet you

She will soon be on her way

So we settle in, review the menu

So much to say

Our server, so genuine

Wishing only to please

Beamed with authenticity

Immediately put us at ease

Eager to make our evening perfect

She directed as best she knew,

Dietary restrictions, however,

Made our choices few

Time passed, we waited

Our anticipation was great

Then serendipity entered

Characteristically late

It altered our event

One miscue after another

Lead to a dinner, gone awry

We remarked to each other

How unlikely

Tho It’s still a great day

Genuine and sincere

A jewel of humankind

Our server acknowledged

Our misfortunes

They will be addressed

As you dine

While a much-anticipated meal

Went sideways very quick

What trumped in importance

Was our server,

Her spirit and her wit

And so we left richer

for our experience, to be sure

For the kindness, and grace

She extended

We will never forget

LABELS

Unproductive and disqualifying

Unless accompanied with a benefit, or goal

How established, and

For what application

Is the intent, the might, the role?

Beauty describes a flower

or sunrise

Comical, are actions

Arising from the unexpected

There are labels that drive

Our commerce and prose

But those that separate others

By ability and race

Strike at the heart

They have no place

So embrace the positive in what is

Be grateful for the variety in delivery and space

Through family, friends, and variance in grace

Reach out to those whose strength is less

Not by their fault, as they did their best

Labels can weigh heavily, without proper care

They can hinder a breakthrough

Lead to despair

Unless we as humanity

Do more to mend and repair

So, lend an arm, sit, listen, and smile

For the stories compiled may be

Richer in experience, than you’ve

Walked in miles

Quite and humble, often kept to themselves

Yet the lessons learned, and mountains climbed

Yields wisdom and clarity

A label defiles

What If?

What if

For just one day

And for all of society

There was no profiling

Each individual is unique

And everyone respected

Nothing to separate us

While families carry-on

Children attend school

Without fear of gunfire

And employees find purpose

In their daily routine

What if

Instead of closing oneself off

From the world around

To monitor social media

We help the elderly man

Pack his groceries

Smile at fellow pedestrians

Some of which wear frowns

Because life isn’t what it should be

That smile could make their day a bit brighter

And provide them with the sense

That humanity is truly caring

What if

For one week

Instead of ordering our morning coffee

We gave to our favorite charity

A small adjustment

For the people that it would impact

Business could contribute

Everyone benefits

Charities provide enhanced services

Those donating experience gratitude

And recipients’ well-being is broadened

What a difference that would make

What if?

Acts of kindness

Of any kind, sort and value

Give hope, wipe away tears

Begets further acts of kindness

So little effort, so much impact

What if?

We just gave one hour

coffee proceeds

A smile

What a difference it could make

A day in the life

Quiet as the morning air

It does not knock

Leaving silence in its wake

No pattern, or precision

No give, all take

At first, you do not notice

Life is busy as it is

But then one day it becomes familiar

Catches your attention

And you think…

What is this unusual movement

Never seen before or felt

No longer ignored

It has your attention

It is out of the norm

Life has secretly guided you

Down paths ill-suited to your health

Surreptitiously introducing you to agents

Robbing you of your biological wealth

Stealth in approach

As would be a preying lion

Clever as it is convincing

Each visit is different

And unique in presentation

Its watermark

Suddenly, it becomes apparent

Fingers and legs move in different ways

And when the scent of the roses

Can no longer be enjoyed

We feel somewhat of a pawn

In a game of chess, when

Controlling the center is no longer a play

Time moves on, and more symptoms

Are revealed

Social engagements become difficult

As what once was normal

One can no longer conceal

So we exercise and listen to experts

Upping our effort

And adopt best practices as we can

We learn that, unlike what was initially believed

Parkinson’s is a collection of illnesses

Without a single plan

As the debate continues among researchers

Regarding the role an assay plays

The drive to eliminate this disease

Gains momentum every day

As the urgency for new treatments

Rises in demand

The total number diagnosed will double

to 12 million in a 15-year span

And for those most challenged, we do our best

We eat well, exercise, and get our rest

And while we wait for breakthroughs to take place

We adapt, we twist, we turn

We ask God for grace.

Bus Stop

Driving down the road

The sun in my eyes

Feeling a bit irritable

With traffic aside

Then I caught a glimpse

Of a woman torn weary

Waiting for a bus

Three bags in tow

Making note, I turned

Pulling into a

Precision-marked row

I opened my door

And then it came to me

This woman I saw

I’d like to make her day better

To whatever degree

I approached her at a distance

Hello, how are you?

Are you coming or going,

Do you have a moment, please?

I noticed you as I drove by

I thought you might enjoy a rest

From all you do

Would you be my guest?

Across the way, there is a shop

It would be my honor

What do you say?

She looked at me with surprise

And a sparkle in her smile

Are my ears hearing right?

You’re asking me to join you

Bless your heart

Yes, I would

My feet, what a sight

When we entered the shop

I nodded and said

We are together

This is my friend as you see—–

Then we each took a seat

And waited our turn

To be called back and assigned

Within a few minutes

We would soon learn

They were ready for two

So we settled in our chairs

The technician asked,

How do you do?

A simple polish for me

As for my friend here

Please do as she asks

As our nails were buffed and polished

We exchanged niceties of family and such

How life impacts us all

Being mindful not to trespass

On my guest’s personal space

That she may enjoy as she wishes

And at her own pace

I was soon prompted to pay

Yes, I replied for two

l slipped on my shoes

And slowly moved

Then turning, I smiled

And waved good-by

Thank you for accepting

You have a good day