January 30th

"Teach me to do your will,

   for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
   on a level path." Psalm 143:10

when the new teachers 

would tell us that compassion

is outdated and not to be 

used in any classroom,

continue to stick little pieces

of paper in our pockets reading,

'blessed are the merciful.'

when the principal decides 

that empathy is now to be

considered a four-letter word,

keep adding the song

'won't you be my neighbor?'

to our playlists, so we not

only learn to sing along

but live out the words with

everyone we meet.

(c) 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman