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.