Friday, March 9, 2012

Sacred Service

How do the downtrodden continue to be so kind?
Where is this well of forgiveness that they seem to find?
As I watched the African woman care for our sister-in-law
In her, there was so much grace and love that I saw.

She was a successful marketer in her own country,
But here, a caretaker is what she's hired to be.
How can she serve the society that so disrespects her
In a way that she becomes the vulnerable ones' protector?

In the hospital, the people who care for those in pain
Obviously do so for reasons beyond earthly gain.
The joyful service I've encountered during my husband's stay
Gives a lift to my spirits that I carry through the day.

Where else can one go to be treated as a well-loved babe,
Even by those with wages not much better than slaves?
Is it any wonder that there are those who are disposed
To seeking illness as their way to obtain repose?

Perhaps we would be less ill if our insurance covered retreats,
Instead of waiting for illness to knock us off our feet.
Certainly those with resources can buy pampering on vacations,
But what about the poor that serve this wealthy nation?