Why don’t you take a minute and just say ‘hi’,

to the brother over there, barely draggin’ by.

 

Yeah, he’s beggin’ but don’t dog this brother out,

see, you haven’t got a clue as to what he’s all about.

 

You turned up your nose as if he were dirt,

he has feelings too, that you stomp on and hurt.

 

He has probably seen things that we can’t comprehend,

he has reached a rock bottom that doesn’t seem to end.

 

He’s only asking for a nickel or maybe a dime,

but you can’t spare a second of your precious time.

 

But I won’t turn my head when this brother walks by

I’ll take a moment to stop and say ‘hi’.

 

It may cause this brother to take on a different view,

about the road he is on and what he should do.

 

Sometimes, the slightest gesture can touch a person’s soul,

and restore some of the joy that fate has stole.

 

By Sylvia Porter-Hall