Hearts Aflame Poem by Tsunami HiroshiSu

The street lights loom above me as I walk through the night
Down the street
Cold, bitter, sharp wind pierces my face like a hundred knives
My heart feels as heavy as a lead weight
But I am wrapped head to toe in heavy garments to keep off the winter chill
I may be but others aren’t
Those unfortunate enough not to have a home to come back to each night
Mothers cry out in anguish
Crying ‘God, save my child! ’
But I turn a deaf ear and quicken my step
‘Sweet girl, beautiful girl, I’m glad you have a home at least.
I’m glad you have a roof over your head and food at your table and clothes on your back.
And I bless you.’
The old lady huddled in a doorway says that.
It melted my heart to se her so
How could I be so heartless?
Why was it that this woman, who had lost everything, was still prepared to bless me,
While I, who have lost nothing, turn a deaf ear on those who need me?
I falter and stop to look at her
She smiles, her wrinkled face emerging from the tattered blanket that rests upon her shoulders
I look down at my heavy coat
I pull it off and wrap it around her
Then I turn and walk on without a word
‘Bless you, child.’ She repeats
A man stretches out his hand to me as I continue
I stop and hand him my gloves
‘Thank you, Angel.’ He calls after me
I smile slightly and don’t look back
Another mother holds her freezing child close
She watches me walk with hollow, sad, frightened eyes that say in one look, ‘I’ve given up.’
I place my hat upon the child’s bear head
I give her a smile that says ‘Don’t give up.’
And I turn to go
‘A Christmas Angel just for you, Sweetheart.’
She says to the baby.
With every layer I shed
My heart grows warmer and lighter
And the bare skin that should’ve been cold
Is now heated from within
From a heart that’s now aflame with love.