Does benevolence pain you?
It should not…
Others welfare-
Mustn’t be a cause of discomfort,
But a source of joy,
A gift of fulfillment,
Done out of obligation,
Not of demand,
Instead an obligation,
To care for your brothers,
And sisters in need,
In their moment of distress.
Time or money,
It matters not,
When done out of…
The goodness of heart.
~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~
An outstretched hand offered to the fallen
A kind word spoken to those in distress
A shoulder to cry on for those in mourning
Offered to comfort the wounded among us
~~
A gentle hug to let them know you care
A tender kiss to show your affection
A stroke of the hair letting them know you are by their side
Given without condition from the goodness of a gentle heart
~~
A pat on the back to show appreciation
A wide knowing smile to brighten their day
A look into their eyes to acknowledge their existence
Lifting the spirits of those who suffer themselves forgotten
~~
All things that daily we ought to make offer
Random acts of kindness shown to our fellow man
Still in our humanness we forget these little things
Simple acts that serve to enrich our karma
~~
Instead we neglect our neighbors out of hand
Evading eye contact
Dismissing their difficulties
Oblivious to their losses
~~
Is it because we are too engaged
Or is it that we just don’t care
How sad this is
Living life absorbed in our own self-interests
~~
Wrapped in a box of our own making
A cocoon made from our own selfishness
Useless but as a tomb when it is our time
Unloved, unappreciated, unnoticed, will you pass on alone
~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~
Homeless mother and child – csindy.com
By D. R. DiFrancesco
~~~~
Dirty faces streaked with tears,
Revealing the shell of who they were,
In silence they live their greatest fears,
Passing by, you pray they do not stir.
~~
Their homes a box, a shantytown,
No cover from rain, sleet or snow,
Living with luck or fate torn down,
With arrogance you look away from those below.
~~
Sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers,
They too were once like you,
Annoyed you pass, you can’t be bothered,
With these paupers, beggars and shrews.
~~
They did not ask for their station in life,
For many, no fault of their own,
They huddle with daughter, son and wife,
On these sidewalks and alleys alone.
~~
Lift yourself up and make your own way,
With what, is a question to be asked,
Struggling to eat day to day,
There’s no time for their plight to be masked.
~~
A little compassion would go a long way,
Helping pick up our fellow man,
With food and warmth and a safe place to stay,
Simple basics since time began.
~~
So many are one paycheck away,
From the life these nightmares are made of,
In darkness they hope to keep poverty at bay,
Saying prayers to their God in Heaven above.
~~
From that vagrant you see do not dart your eyes,
Instead offer an honest helping hand,
Remember the innocent child who cries,
Dirty, hungry and homeless in this promised land.
Dom DiFrancesco 