Empathy is not a weakness.
Empathy is never weakness.
Empathy for other human beings is the heart, mind, and soul of genuine strength and leadership.
Make America empathetic again.
Kindness
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
....
(Read the rest here, at Poets.org.)
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The lovely and kind Margaret Simon is hosting the Poetry Friday round-up this week.
Oh, Karen, what a beautiful poem by Nye. Perhaps kindness and sorrow = wholeness. Equals empathy. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful way to look at it, too, Denise. ❤️
DeleteThank you for sharing this poem, Karen. So insightful how she pairs knowing kindness with knowing sorrow!
ReplyDeleteShe's a wonderfully insightful poet!
DeleteOne of my favorite Nye poems. More relevant than ever in these cruel times. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jama!
Delete"And WOKE just means you give a damn about other people"--Jane Fonda. This poem never gets old, does it?
ReplyDeleteNaomi's poetry never fails to deliver. Thanks for sharing this, Karen.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful poem. And yes-- we cannot let this time harden our hearts. Thank goodness for poetry, which is rooted in the insistence that we should feel something.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is not weakness and goodness is not powerless. https://bradmontague.substack.com/p/goodness-is-not-powerless
ReplyDeleteYou know, I fret all week. And then, Poetry Friday restores something in me. This poem is a cornerstone poem. You are right, of course, empathy is not a weakness. This is a message I want to spread...this poem helps do that. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved this poem. It is so needed right now. Thank you for sharing it here.
ReplyDelete* Heidi, exactly.
ReplyDelete* Alan, I agree, she always delivers.
* Sarah Grace, I love defining poetry as the insistence that we should feel something.
* Mary Lee, thanks so much for that link! ("...but the actual world is still being shaped by regular, decent people. People living with creativity and compassion.")
* Linda M., oh, me too, friend, me too.
* Linda K.T, yes, such needed thoughts, and poetry is always needed, isn't it?
YES. Showing vulnerability, empathy, gentleness, kindness, generosity - these are signs of STRENGTH and courage and confidence, not weakness. If these people were truly the Christians they claim to be, they would see that to be truly Christlike is to care, even when it costs you the world.
ReplyDelete