Do You Mind?

We've been trained and been drilled,
learned our lesson so well:
the tenets upon which our culture stands—
keep your hands off.
Every person's an island,
so mind your own business.

But if our own business is all we mind,
everyone else is left behind.
How can we be so blind
to the lonely and hurting,
averting our eyes
from each sight that implies
we may not be quite as self-sufficient
as we want to believe.
We deceive ourselves,
ignoring those who don't have a voice,
who can't make the choice
to cry for help.

When we're so busy with our own business
we don't even notice
when people disappear right from under our noses.
And they're gone,
and they know they were right all along
because nothing really changes.
Relationship was just an illusion.
A delusion
that someone might actually care
if I'm even there.

But they care.
At least, they think they do—
they're trying to,
but how can someone really know it's true
when all you're given are post-it notes
slipped from prison cell to prison cell
with meaningless platitudes
and out of context Bible verses.

We know there should be so much more
than our poor attempts
at reaching beyond the wall we've built
to hide ourselves from discomfort.
While handshakes are nice and all
they tend to fall
a little short
when you are drowning.

How can we even show that we care more
when we're trained to ignore
those we pass on the street
all the strangers we meet
that we greet
and forget.

Good wishes without substance are not very appealing,
and caring isn't just a feeling.
But no one will ever know its there
if we won't dare
to step out of our little box
into the mess of others' lives.

So would you mind
if we could mind
just a little more than we do,
and find
perhaps
we are the lonely and hurting ones
too.