In the back of a car
zooming through the crowded streets
of downtown Chicago
I see a grown man
middle-aged
and professional-looking
his motions are frantic
my eyes dart in his direction.
After a brief moment of confusion
I see what he’s doing
he’s shepherding a wayward goose
on the crowded sidewalk
back to safe waters
working against the flow
of the onslaught of stomps
from screen-distracted pedestrians and tires
from screen-distracted drivers of cars.
His resolve for keeping
his newfound winged friend alive
comes to my attention
after scrolling through news article
after horrendous news article
pedaling the cruelty and uncaringness
of humans from all corners of the world.
And then I see him
and he shows me the other side of us
the more commonplace side
the side that gets ignored
— our whimsical, big-hearted
and generous nature.
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This post was previously published on Medium.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: istockphoto.com