Acts of Kindness

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If we do not see ourselves
as one with the whole,
our acts of kindness
may become notches
on our ego’s belt
or increasingly tiresome
burdens that eventually
begin to weigh us down
and incite resentment.

© 2016 Dennis Ference

Celebration

 

She whirled before me, guileless,
eager face straining for the sky,
light rain chiseling a smile
glorious on glistening cheeks.
She extended her arms full-length
in opposite directions, flat palms
and feathery fingers seemingly
practiced in the art of soaring.
Moments before, she broke loose
from the boughs of my umbrella,
to announce an eight-year-old’s vision
and credo: I gotta be free!

Longing to join the gambol
but hobbled by an arthritic hip
and the rust of years given
to caution and conformity, I settle
for silence and reverent awe
in the presence of this young
priestess and her primal
celebration of life.

© 2006 Dennis Ference
(First posted 7/8/14)