To Those I Knew Before
I learned from you.
To be kind, to be smart,
to be generous,
like you.
Always giving,
sharing, spending,
offering what I have;
I know they’re broke,
so I sit and share,
a snack, a smoke
(but I learned from you,
the shadows of cancer,
the stench of cigarettes in the air,
so I stay away).
I learned from you.
They called you the favorite,
the nice one, the good one.
And I want that.
To be remembered as the good one,
the kind one,
the one offering,
packing extra,
giving all that I have
and more.
All my time,
all my effort,
all to be
Like You
(because I watched you,
slipping dollars to the cart takers,
an extra twenty pressed in my hand,
no one else could pay but you).
Because I learned from you.
And that
was a blessing.
Pith and Prattle 
For so many personal reasons, your poem touched my heart deeply! Giving is such a healing for the giver, and the receiver!
Oh be happy in the world! I love your poem so very much. Simply beautiful!
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Thank you! I’m glad it spoke to you!
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