I can’t promise you
everything or the make
the world less cruel, but
you deserve a fighting
chance at life

unbound by friction,
blisters on opinions
of your worth

take heart in slow decline
without the medication,
and be kind,

their suffering
has made them
what compassion
never will

we will be kind because
the politics mean nothing –
greed, the ugliness will fade
to pale against these moments
and a lifetime

searching for a warmth
beyond disease.

© Ben Ditmars 2016

Image Source: Flickr