Neighbor's Potential
He approaches with a quiet stride,
No judgment in his eyes, no pity to hide.
A willingness to see, to understand,
To meet the human lost beneath the pain.
He asks how I’m doing, if I need a hand,
If there’s anything he can do to help me stand.
He listens, heart open, steady and wide,
To the voice of a stranger who’s learned to survive.
The strength it takes to be gentle, to care,
Is a kind of courage painfully rare.
True power isn't in the clenching of fists,
But in the space where compassion persists.
When kind eyes pause and truly see,
They make a place where scars can breathe.
It’s the only thing that draws us far
From the hush of death, back into who we are.
