I've lived an entire lifetime,
And I've always been surrounded by vitriol and hate,
Violent anger and envy and so much ugly hatred,
And so I learned to swim in it,
I learned to be kind because the world rarely is,
But when I opened my eyes,
I found kindness everywhere,
Not the extra ordinary kind that makes the stuff of books and movies,
But the small ordinary kindness that seeps like spring snow,
How small I felt in the face of such kindness,
Where co-workers remember birthdays and buy small trinkets,
Where a friend packs a lunch for you,
Where a room mate sits with you when you make food,
Where a stranger smiles at you on the street,
I am filled to the brim with a joy that doesn't seem to end,
And how tiny I am in the greatness of this love,
It is healing,
To watch this compassion grow and flourish like wildflowers on footpaths,
To wipe away the scorch of past injuries and leave a story of better lives and people,
I've lived an entire lifetime,
And the kindness that ordinary people possess is the greatest thing I've known

© Silvy Abraham