Resurfacing A Busy Street Poem by Grant House

Restoring one's equilibrium
Being present in this moment
Mending fences
Nurturing a friendship
Letting others know you care
Allowing someone to care for you
All take mindful attention

Tikkun Olam
A cherished Jewish recognition
That our purpose in life
Is to repair the world
In that spirit
We might ask
What might I contribute with my life
How might I be
That my life leaves things better

The busy street of my life
Needs to be restored
Ground down
Swept and washed
Resurfaced
And the world is crying out
For love
Or even for a little recognition
An awareness that our lives
Are of value and have a contribution to make

Each of us is precious
You and I, part of a grand tradition
We strive to live our lives
To make things better
To serve

Those who share this calling
The doctors, nurses, and caregivers
Mechanics, sewers, cooks, and dishwashers
Writers, poets, journalists
Scientists, truck drivers, dock workers, counselors
Massage therapists and building contractors
Architects and sailors and bakers
Sales people and accountants and teachers
Union members, trades crafts people, hairdressers, farmers
And those workers shoveling asphalt in the street
All of us
Together
Every day
With every breath
Are healing the world

That is who we are
Each in our own way
Including one another
Respecting one another
But mostly just being ourselves

It is enough to simply be your self
The great wellspring of all good
Flows through our very being
We are
Each and every one
A unique expression
Of the universal spirit animating the universe
Who we are
Our very essence
Divine

In that presence
All things are possible
Even healing this broken world

Who you are
Is enough
To change the world
For good