I pray

  

I passed a vagrant, a wanderer, this afternoon,

who took off his hat and dropped his walking stick,

sank down on his knees before my pup,

slowly reached out and held his hand for her to sniff

cooing gentle words to her, seemingly oblivious of my presence,

focussing on her soft coat, wagging tail and gentle eyes,

and I could feel his need for a hug, for warmth, softness,

emanating right through me, a wave of such sadness

and longing, for love, of loss, of what is…

A pup can feel the need for touch, freely give a hug

while comforting an aching soul,

how is it that humans have lost that compassion for one another?

My heart aches for this world, for the lonely, fear-filled people,

for those without hope, of which there are many,

for those without a tomorrow, there are more and more each day,

for those who don’t have anyone to turn to, who do not understand,

and I pray God gives them comfort in His own special way.