I am not blind
To the glorious colours of dawn
Or the majesty of radiant sunsets,
To the shadows of twilight
Or to the varied palette
Of shades of nature ….
Why then am I blind
To the enriching variations
Of the colour of skin?
I am not deaf
To the glorious music
And majesty of symphonies,
To the uplift of songs
Or to the varied tones
Of loved ones' voices ….
Why then am I deaf
To the cries of the lonely,
The vulnerable and the poor?
I am not without feeling
My own pain and distress of soul
And the suffering of loved ones;
I feel the love of another's caress
And the joy of a child's hug,
A baby hand in a wrinkled one ….
Why then do I limit my feeling,
Drawing back from contact with those
Who have no touch of care?
Clear eyes, open ears, gentle hands
The life-long journey of learning
And becoming fully human.
As the physical self declines
May the inner being be renewed
With every passing day
So I may value all people within
Our lonely, hurting humanity
And offer acceptance and compassion.
