unexpected kindness brings sudden tears

in the winter blamed on the wind’s cold bite

the warmth from chance encounters

sustains through the hours of bitter grief

sly common meanness stings the eyes

this gets passed as lingering illness

the chill at each foul brush

reinforces the awareness of good

the necessity of being able to discern the difference

the determination as to which to bring

I will be sifting through lentils for stones

letting them run between my fingers

then just as casually I drift away, gone

I will be walking across the neighboring field

stopping with interest to observe a fiery leaf

then without warning crumple myself, stilled

I will be sitting in some hard plastic chair

waiting to be seen in a nondescript room

then silently take one last labored breath, no more

no loud and wild passage

a quiet step beyond

unremarkable and unremarked

unnoticed except by a few