Day 12 – The Face in the Mirror Kindness Starts Here

The mannequins in the shop window are
dressed for tennis, or in another window
resplendent in evening dress
for a dress-up evening,
they all look full of life in a lifeless way.

They are meant to reflect us.

In one window there are no mannequins at all,
instead a great big mirror so that people walking by
can see themselves, what they are wearing,
how they look in a lifeless mirror –
living beings from not another planet.

In the mirror, the first thing they see is the eyes
looking back at their eyes.
Another person, you’d think, but a reflection in time.
Looking at that person who is not me but meant to be,
I’m reminded that kindness starts here.

So tired from a busy day, weighed down with worries of living,
you can see the wear and tear of it all.
We may not care for the mannequins,
but do we care for the person reflected in the mirror?
Yet Kindness starts here.

What would our world look like
if we all lived by a standard that saw kindness at home,
and kindness with neighbours and friends
and those most in need?
Kindness is a seed that grows and grows and grows.

The opposite is cold cold comfort
Lifeless as a mirror with no-one to reflect.
Our lives are so much better when we reflect love.
With laughter and kindness life can be
a celebration.

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