So many discussions
Even disagreements
Over the meaning
Of one simple word…
Neighbor
An age-old question-
Who is my neighbor?
One who lives next door
Across the street
A mile down the road
Descriptions that only begin
To scratch the surface-
Is it possible to have
A neighbor with no
Respect to distance?
In today’s world-yes!
The next city
Another state
Across the world
But what about
The stranger who
Waits near me in a line
Walks into my classroom
Stands on the corner?
One word does not
Negate the other
Does not lessen
My responsibility
To recognize a need
Find a way to give
Offer some kindness
Wherever I am standing
To whoever happens to
Be standing nearby
I could not consider the word neighbor without thinking back to my childhood. Profound messages were presented through children’s television. As I finished this poem, two examples came to mind.
The first, a song from Sesame Street, “People in Your Neighborhood.” The chorus sings:
Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day
The second example is, you guessed it, Mr. Rogers. I have much admiration for Fred Rogers and his contributions to this world. I could not finish my writing without hearing his familiar question; “Won’t you be my neighbor?”
