I usually smile when my eyes cross
The path of another human gaze,
A cautious hint not to infringe an unwritten
Social contract imposing coldness and distance,
Respectfully bowing my head just a tad
Just in case to leave no space for misunderstandings
Of my egoistic intentions to release a caged
Peremptory instinct determined to convey
Messages of care to strangers who are not
So alien to me as I love them all like I love
Myself endeared by our fragile nature a gesture
Of peace, “You and I are one and the same
I couldn’t possibly love you less” yet perplexed
Some lower their regard as if I intruded
Disturbed their world of evasion
Annihilated their desertion from humanity
While others respond in spite of themselves
With a swift beam softening the rigid traits
Of a face unveiling sufferance and struggles
And I feel, the reverberations of my kindness
Echoing within them as they resonate within me.
[Featured painting: Smile Please by Rajasekharan]