The Reasoning of a Bad Samaritan

And the crying stranger

Photo by the author, Mark Tulin

once you feel the pain
inside a crying stranger
but remain silent

an invisible hand guides you
away from kindness
that can’t be taken seriously

walk on by without regret
into the comfort
of your privileged class

because you are convinced
that giving them money
will enable their poverty

so, rid yourself of the eyesores
in one strong espresso —
ignore the world’s strife

focus on your needs
as the crying man
has no connection to you

you can’t save everyone—
so why put yourself in another’s shoes
if it’s too inconvenient to do

© 2022 Mark Tulin

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Here’s another spiritual poem by Mark:

My Inner Bodhisattva