it was not the food itself I bought

but the memory of care

I was ill and someone made a special trip

to that store on the edge of town

for this one thing that helped me

as I slowly relearned how to eat

and then you showed a similar attention

remarkable for this day and time

with a grin that has always made me glad

a smile that bids a happy welcome

such kindnesses might seem small

but these form the web of the world

building connections to things unseen

with unwavering threads of regard