Sometime in 2016, after spending a day with a number of interactions with people who were suffering from emotional pain, I jotted down a few thoughts. I saved those thoughts in my calendar and kept moving them until I felt the urge to write about them.  In February of this year, I wrote the poem below based on those thoughts. Given the sadness of the tragedy of NYPD Chief Steve Silks taking his own life yesterday, I thought I would share it this morning. My love and prayers go to his family, and to all of us who are suffering any type of pain in our lives.

Be The Light

End of day, saw people in pain today

Thoughts of their pain linger with me now

I look up at the twilight sky

Half Moon over the ocean

Pretty colors evolving

Shades of pink painted by the Sun

Envisioning macro view, our beautiful planet

Zoom in, oceans, continents

Still beauty, perfection

But speckled in that pretty canvas

Places of disorder

Pain and discord

Manifestations of fear, anger

What contrast, such challenges

How to bring light to such darkness

One by one, where we can

Be the light

Always be the light

Joe Fox

February 2019