I sat at the dinner table looking out the window and saw this man laying underneath the closed furniture store awning
I went out into the cold night and asked him if he was hungry
He shook his head, yes! And followed me into the restaurant
I sat across the table from him looking at every action he took
As magic reveals nature and nature reveals the animal in him
His clothes old and tattered, hair turned to dreads and nails as brown as the dirt on a rainy day
He sat all politely, placing a napkin on his lap and pulling his chair closer to the table
I smiled at him, and it was the only time I saw his eyes as he shyly looked away
Our dinner was brought to the table and I too then prepared for our meal
He wasted no time and before I knew it, his plate had his full attention and he had mine
His knife and fork played a tune on his dish as he fought to cut the chicken
I giggled so slightly but it never reached his ear
His breath was heavy and his movement nervous
I wanted to take his hand to comfort him but didn’t reach, scared to what his reaction would have been
His water in his glass moved like ocean waves as he drank
He smacked his mouth with every bite and specks of food escape, like a volcano erupting
Neighboring tables stared at us and some asked to be moved when his oder reached their noises
But God had sent this man to me and said, “BE KIND, as if he was a king in silk and gold”
When dinner was done and he was free to speak, he thanked me
I then thank him for his company at dinner then he got up and left
We share something in common this man and I
God knew us….
I stood across the street under the furniture store awning keeping out of the rain
The sky was dark as night and the rain fell as heavy as stone
Hitting the asphalt with such force that it bounced before it settled
She had no umbrella and her clothes wrapped her body
Her wet black hair hugged her face and her glasses served no real purpose, for the rain was unkind
She struggled with her bags as she walked across the street toward me
Her shoes soaked to the core making music as she walked
God told me to treat this woman with kindness as I would a pauper
I asked, “can I help you?”
She looked up and handed me the bags, “thank you”, she said
I took her bags and followed her to her car, that was park blocks away
She opened her trunk and turned around to take her bags from me but I placed them in her trunk then walked away
She yelled out at me, “thank you!”
We shared something in common, that woman and I, God knew us….