Until You've Walked A Mile

Under a bridge huddled close
Ice cold from fingers to toes
Watching strangers pass him by
Fighting off the urge to cry.

She sits on the bus next to you
Wondering if that some day soon
She'll have the strength to make a stand
Against her boyfriend's brutal hand.

The child who sits all alone
Left to play on his own
All he wants is just one friend
And all the constant bullying to end.

The old woman with her silent stare
Time and wisdom streaked through her hair
Her children who long ago forgot their mother
She's too old and frail, why even bother?

Every day there are souls who suffer
A friend, a stranger, a sister, a brother
They hide behind a well-worn mask
Perhaps not knowing whose help to ask.

A kind word, a helping hand
Goes a long way in the end
If we all looked for a moment at each other
We see our blood is all the same color.

Do not look on the actions of others
Judging books by their covers
You'd want others to do the same
Even when you hide your pain.

Would it hurt for once to say
To a stranger, "Have a good day"?
A nod, a hug, a smile
Judge not, until you've walked a mile.