A Good Omen For Haya Poem by Daniel Brick

It was a good omen
the night we crossed paths
for the first time. I was fumbling
with the wrong key, when you took
the key chain and held the right key
before my eyes, and deftly unlocked
the door, and then you swept
past me, moving swiftly
toward your immediate goal,
leaving me alone to follow mine.
And so it went...

Acts of Kindness come in all sizes
- and this one may have been smaller
than those the world admires - still
kindness itself always looms large.
It is the oldest gesture in our
vocabulary of gestures. And the sweetest.
Did Eve extend her hand to help Adam
to his feet when he awoke beneath
her smiling face? Did Abraham steady
Ishmael's steps as they trod
the rugged path of Mount Horeb?
Did Rachel's glance reassure Jacob
of her love even as he married Leah
to satisfy the father's bias? And what
of Noah and his crowded cargo: How many
frightened animals did he calm
during their tumultuous voyage?
And how we are humbled and amazed
in equal measure over God's bringing
the sparrow back to flight to reassure
Abraham's heart...

Oh, the world is vast, and even now
six billion of us crowd its contours
from end to end. Within me is an unexpected
calm. I will not speak of the great deeds,
they will take care of themselves, God willing.
Let me rather celebrate the small gestures.
Let me give thanks that you saw me locked out,
and in a flash, let me in to the place
we both belonged, and then you vanished
into your act of kindness, needing no thanks
for following God's example, and, God willing,
I will learn from your example....