Empathy 101 Poem by RIC BASTASA

you are a happy man
so you claim to be
inheriting a fortune
from the rich ancestors
imbued with culture
from the good universities
that provide you the best
education in the
city

and one day
at early dawn when the rain just stopped
pouring from last nights
tempest
you see a man wrapped with plastic
sleeping on the concrete bench
of the town plaza

he has nothing
not even hope
and you just pass him by
but your thoughts capture
you and puts you in
this prison
of emptiness

and you come back
to see if he has shoes
that you can wear
to make him dance at least
using the smooths soles
of your feet

even for that imaginary
moment