<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><p>One Small Kindness</p><p><br></p><p>I’ve built a little shelter</p><p>a hand hewned lean-to</p><p>on the side of a mountain</p><p>inside my heart</p><p><br></p><p dir="auto">There, moist living holy soil</p><p>welcomes all my troubles</p><p>with a soothing kindness</p><p><br></p><p>This rough shelter fits me snugly</p><p dir="auto"> the curvature of my body’s roundness</p><p dir="auto">and its rough edges</p><p>perfectly held</p><p><br></p><p>Resting against the old logs</p><p>is like leaning into an old friend</p><p>I wriggle the crook of my arm</p><p>and the low of my back</p><p>into the decomposing leaves</p><p>aware that the earthen walls </p><p>are cradling all my</p><p>imagined imperfections</p><p>as I sink deeper down</p><p><br></p><p>I go there when love</p><p>isn’t returned</p><p><br></p><p>I take sanctuary there</p><p>after an unkind word</p><p>penetrates my heart</p><p><br></p><p>or when my country’s soul</p><p dir="auto">is crumbling all around me</p><p><br></p><p>Yes I too am surprised at</p><p>how thin my skin can be</p><p dir="auto">or that I don’t have a veil at all</p><p dir="auto">protecting my heart</p><p><br></p><p dir="auto">Please know that</p><p dir="auto">your one small kindness</p><p dir="auto">is all I need today</p><p dir="auto"><br></p><p>It’s all that anyone may need</p><p>to remain anchored and alive</p><p>one more day. </p><p><br></p><p dir="auto"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Kristy Hellum</p></div></body></html>