Sad Stranger Poem by Diana van den Berg

Sad stranger,
tell me your volcanoes
and your tiny wild flowers,
sing me your secrets
in notes slow and sacred,
whisper your heart-thoughts
without fear of betrayal,
point out your pathways
rocky and sunlit.

Bestow on me that honour and dignity
and I will listen and feel
with my soul
and my mind
and my heart
and I will honour you in turn
by not offering thoughtless advice.
I will simply ask questions
of deep concern
that I hope will warm your heart,
open your mind,
strengthen your soul,
allay your fears
and point you forward

... to do the same
for the next sad stranger
for then you will discover
that the price of
the gift of light
is to give it.

When it’s all about others,
- from the heart and not as a slave -
then it’s all about you.

(21 August 2005)