A Poem About Showing Empathy For Those Around You

I often find that we’re always busy trying to keep up with our own tasks as people. We never really bother to look and examine to see what is happening around us. Sometimes, I wish we could care more about others and show some compassion. Empathy can brighten a person’s day, making someone feel seen or heard. It’s one of those traits where a little goes a long way. 

In the middle of a city 
A building stands 
Amidst the wind… 
On a strip of land. 

The streets are full. 
With cheery people 
‘Tis a normal day 
It’s nothing, whoa 

A girl sits in the corner
Waving her watch 
Staring at it
Marking 9 o’clock 
She’s here every day
Head in her knees
Asking herself
When could this stop?

The day’s too quick 
She’ll often say 
3 hours later 
She reads essays
4 hours later
She checks the time
5 hours later
She heads back. 
6 hours later
She arrives home
Then 12 hours later
She falls asleep. 

A boy washes dishes
In a restaurant nearby 
He hears wishes
But not from inside. 
He often peeks out 
And sees people about
But these aren’t regular people
He tells himself. 

One shift at night
He caught a guy 
Dressed in a business suit
Maybe lower than nines. 
But next to him 
There was a girl 
She looked around 
And asked for
Whereabouts

What should I do? 
He asked himself. 
Reached into his pocket
Then looked in the shelves.
Only a couple of 
Dimes, can that do? 
No, not too much
But I’ll be there too 

I’ll be there too
That’s what he told himself
As he sees the men 
In shiny suits
Order takeout

Sushi
They say.
Sashimi
They demand
Spaghetti 
Is what they’ll call
As bland. 

At the college nearby
George studies
And reads
While blabbering noisely
With his buddies

They laugh
They cheer
They joke as if
They’re grabbing beers
They’ve been together
Hanging out for years

Sometimes they go
And roam ‘round Toronto
It’s the place where 
They belong 
A place where they 
Would’ve always gone

They pass by the boy
Leaving the building
On a dark night 
When the moon shines
Bright 

They pass by the house
Where the girl is 
Sleeping 
On a dark night
When the winds are
Screeching 

They pass by the bridge
With people sleeping
Alone in their tents 
Not cold 
Nor weeping 

Their minds are on 
The next game
The next test
The next trend 
The next goal 
Following what
They were told 

When George comes home
He opens his
Phone 
Curled up on his sofa
All alone

Parents didn’t return
– Perhaps they’re at 
The bar 
Or staying late for 
Work, commuting
Very far

George lies down 
And remembers
The class 
Where the professor
Made him 
Gasp 

No, it wasn’t a 50
Nor was it a 60 
It was about how a 90
Couldn’t even 
Change any person
Kindly 

George sees the girl
And the boy 
Staring right back 
At him…

Maybe if he were born
In a different life
He wouldn’t have been 
In college. 

Maybe if he were born
In a different life
He would’ve been 
Washing dishes. 

Maybe if he were born 
In a different life
He would ask himself
What would he eat?

We have to be mindful of each other’s struggles and backgrounds daily. Just because we have experienced a certain way of life does not mean other people have the same experiences. This poem reflects on the different experiences of people in a city across various ages: Some are working, others are attending school, and some are still looking for employment. Since everyone comes from different experiences, we should all strive to be empathetic and acknowledge various viewpoints.

Featured image via Federico Vecchi on Unsplash