A Simple Kindness

Unfamiliar places, unfamiliar faces,

A racing heart behind cautious graces.

Anxiety whispers, "Turn back, don't go,"

For few of us like what we don't know.

Will they accept me? Will I belong?

The questions echo all night long.

With guarded eyes, we stand apart,

Protecting the corners of our fragile heart.

But then a smile breaks gently through,

A simple kindness, warm and true.

The walls come down and distance fades,

The light shines through the fears we've made.

Take the chance; there's much to gain,

Beyond the worry, beyond the strain.

For every soul holds a hidden glow,

Even when it's hard to show.

Some lights grow dim from battles past,

From wounds and memories that still last.

But if we look beyond the scars,

We'll see we're made of the very same stars.

Shared stories, familiar pain,

Different paths, yet we're the same.

One human family beneath the sky,

Let the truth and love be our reply.