Today, I walked past.
I walked past the homeless person.
I walked past the peaceful protest.
I pushed my trolley in front of me,
and walked past.
I felt all of the bad stuff piling up in my stomach,
just all of it.
The anger, the fear, the shame, the self hatred.
I had tears in my eyes and a big punch in my guts
but I still walked past.
While I was walking past, something happened.
I put one feet in front of me after another
-I was walking past,
I was feeling bad about myself walking past-
I did tentatively lift my gaze.
And I saw her blue eyes and her smile.
I didn't see her, just her flashing blue eyes and her smile.
I recognised them. I saw it:
The green light to take care of myself first.
I blinked, and it was all gone
like a weight had been lifted.
She was gone, too. She had walked past.