“He who sees the calamity of other people,
Finds his own calamity, light.”
An Arabian Proverb
Bitter, 60-Mile Per Hour, Arctic Winds,
And, More Than 20 Inches of Snow Fell;
Overnight, Many Areas Had Transformed,
Into a White, Unmanageable, Sub-Zero Hell.
The Great Blizzard of 2011, had finally passed
It was the third worst storm in our neighborhood
It usually takes some sort of monumental calamity
For people to band together, for the common good
And the morning after the blizzard, most realized this
People of all ages, coming out, to help their neighbors
Children, their parents, and able-bodied senior citizens
Helping each other to dig out, coordinating their labors
A group of teen-agers with shovels, digging out so many cars
Several kind women, with coffee and donuts, passing them out
Men with plows on their 4-wheelers, clearing others’ driveways
This was a huge disaster, bringing many together, without a doubt
People who had lost heat and power, given refuge by total strangers
A kind couple passing out Doggy Bags, for both neighbors, and pets
A man on a snowmobile, giving strangers free rides through the snow
And two days after the storm’s passing, so much help being given yet
Those who were able to maneuver, going out shopping, for neighbors
Those with medical emergencies, on many others, could now depend
As in most calamities, everyone realized, that all were in this, together
If only we could continue like this, so much animosity, could finally end
©February 3, 2011, Mr. Ed
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You are so right sir, but you and I both are old enough to know that many people suffer a short memory. Wish it could be so...
Allen
Today, at work, waiting at a traffic light -glanced left and saw a mural on a wall, next to a vacant lot - it read: "Random Acts of Kindness" ...
Would that 'they' were Constant & Perennial - not just Random! Tom.
I've never experienced such an intense blizzard
as the one you've just had but i do empathise.
John
The disasters do re-shape our hearts!
Christine
fee
Anna
So beautiful and so true. If only we didn't have to have a disaster to help one another.
Mary
Donna