She gave

I hurried down the street

Alison Krauss playing through my earbuds

Stresses from customer demands

And company pressures

Tangling my thoughts and joy.

Why does life have to be so hard?

I thought as I walked to pick up

My meal. Nice boots clicking on

The pavement, new skirt swishing

In the breeze.

How am I going to handle this stress?

Can one person meet these

Demands of boss and customer all

In a day? My eyes on my feet and

The questions taking control.

I look up to cross the street and

Our eyes meet. Her cloudy eyes

In a disfigured face, her limp on

A deformed body. Clothes dirty and

Crumpled, hat askew.

She smiled. At me. We were from

Two completely different planets

Passing at the same second, the

Same brick, the same street light.

She smiled. And she gave.

She gave to me a sign of joy. She gave

Warmth on a cold blustery day. She

Gave from her nothing to me who has

Everything and I took. I took her smile

And sealed it in my heart.

A seal to remember that I received from her

Who had nothing to give. A seal to remind

Me that I always have joy and warmth and

And a smile to give, even if the day wears

Me out. I have much to give.