This is one of my favorite poems of all time. Read it. You will not regret it.
Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing
inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and
purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
How poignant. A real kindness comes from a place of empathy, doesn’t it? And until we’ve missed it by that much, or felt sorrow and loss – I don’t know that real, silent but active kindness can come to us or from us. This is lovely, Rudri.
Barb,
Glad her words spoke to you. Yes, I agree, you cannot know one without the other.
“then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.”
Wow. I’ve never been a big poetry fan, but you might be converting me.
I am happy to hear that you are developing a love of poetry. David Whyte and Mary Oliver are two poets that I absolutely adore. If you have a chance, check out their work.
Such a beautiful poem – true indeed kindness comes from being the most vulnerable and exposed. Great poem Rudri -Iva
Iva,
I am glad you appreciated the sentiment of the poem. Most people who read it feel a deep connection to her words.
I feel this deep, deep in my once-wounded heart. Thank you for sharing, Rudri.
My pleasure, Justine. Grateful that you took solace in her words. They are powerful. xoxo
This is lovely, Rudri, and so very true. It’s kind of like one must experience the darkness to appreciate the light.
Yes, Susan. It is what I refer to as one’s pendulum. You must know sorrow to truly understand happiness.
Thank you for sharing this, Rudri. It’s so true. I do believe we need to have been to places where we might have once believed only “other” people go in order to judge less and to have real compassion. I have felt hurt in college among some more privileged classmates who just weren’t able to feel any kindness for those less fortunate.
You raise an important point. I think often times we base our opinion on what we perceive about a certain situation, when in reality, it is difficult to know of any experience unless you are in it. I think people just make assumptions and because they are in a “higher” position they feel like they are justified in making judgments.
I am a firm believer that crisis builds perspective. That’s why her poem hits home for me.
Ahhh, Naomi Nye – she is one of my favorites. A teacher friend I worked with knew her and after he’d see her he’d bring back autographed copies of her books to me. Kindness is one of my favorites of hers. Loved reading it again here and love that you’re sharing her words. xoxo
What a story, Jane! This poem offers so much comfort that I often read it over and over again. What are the titles of other poems by her that you love?
The Words Under the Words and Blood come to mind instantly. I also enjoyed her book of essays: Never in a Hurry. And when my daughter was young, her favorite book was Sitti’s Secrets. Love Naomi Nye. :)
At the heart of all kindness is LOVE. Without love, there is emptiness…
Thank you for sharing these beautiful words and images, Rudri.
Trish
Trish,
I am grateful that her words resonated with you. It is an exquisite poem that encompasses so much of what life is all about.
Beautiful and poignant poem! Thank you for sharing.
Love this. I’m a big fan of kindness and it’s power.
When asked what I desired in a companion I often responded, “Someone who’s kind.” It was my sincerest belief that the trait was largely undervalued for the depth of its intrinsic worth. Kindness is the mirror into our souls. We learn a lot about ourselves when it’s near and far from our possession. Thank you for sharing this lovely piece. It resonated a great deal. :)
#SITSBlogging
Sarah,
Kindness can be a simple gesture or a word of understanding. But its reach is memorable and powerful.
So glad that the words resonated with you.