Each Soul Bleeds

Each Soul Bleeds

Strangers hustle in and amongst

Most see only shoes, cuffs, and hemlines

In passing few leave lasting impressions

Easily forgotten, as though never beheld

A rare acknowledgement

A simple nod or smile

Only once by chance

Eyes meet in understanding

To see, to feel, to regard

In what lies within and behind

A stranger’s gaze

If only held for a moment

Leaning forward

With warmth and compassion

A whisper carried on soft breath

The sweet scent of humanity

But the words seem dark

Full of contempt

Vile and venomous

Assaulting the heart

Fueled by instinct

Shrouded in confusion

With hand over mouth

A scream of denial

Feet stopped

Chatter muted

Accounts retold

Comfort sought

Distress abounds

Over an opportunity lost

Remorse takes control

Of an unknown offense

Wound upon wound

Each soul bleeds

Seeking refuge

Eyes cast downward

Taking another step

Wanting to turn back

To find that gaze

That instant seam

The moment lost

Reality irrelevant

Perceptions indelible

Scars serve to admonish

To loose the nerve

To look up from shoes

To doubt oneself

Become wary of chance

Does the warmth escape

From a heart pierced

By a fleeting moment

Or a life of pain