Unsung Hero Poem by Deborah Downes

I never knew you
but your pain pierced my heart in ways I could not have imagined
and magnified my senses to realize God’s wonders....
to see nature’s palette of perfection
to smell the scents of a sultry summer’s day
to taste the flavors dancing on my tongue
to hear the rhythms of life that play all around me
and most magical of all, to feel my love’s embrace.

I never knew you
but your suffering impassioned my soul, expanding my awareness in all directions
while pointing to small acts of valor that so often go unsung....
to confess my love unconditionally
to give of my gifts without an accounting
to stand firm for the right while proclaiming the wrong
regardless of ruined reputation.

I never knew you
but you taught me well to drink deeply of life and the moment....
though the days of living be numbered, they are all the more precious.
though the moments be bittersweet, they are more easily savored
though your life was too brief, it enriched my existence
What greater purpose in God’s eyes?

No, I never knew you
but how could I ever forget you.