They are there for us to see but often we look away.
We don’t want them to feel uncomfortable, at least that’s what we say.
The woman badly burned, the quadriplegic in his chair,
The mentally challenged, the blind, we’ve been taught not to gawk or stare.
They appear throughout our lives, perhaps orchestrated by fate.
Sometimes we barely notice them. Sometimes their impact is great.
We often need to see them during times when we’ve forgot
What truly is important in life and that which is truly not.
Only God knows the reasons why these particular souls
are living the lives they are living, fulfilling needed roles.
We suspect they are special spirits who love their fellow man;
Who sacrifice and teach, serving God just because they can.
Truth be told, we benefit from the challenges that they bear.
Gratitude and perspective are the gifts they give and share.
They are there for us to see but often we look away.
We don’t want them to feel uncomfortable, at least that’s what we say.
Perhaps we look away not because we’re being polite,
But because we feel quite humbled in their love and in their light.
- Lisa Murphy Taylor © 2001
www.poemeopathy.com