He sat in a pew several rows behind
The family of his departed, long time friend
And listened to the noble accolades
And anecdotes quite affably depicted
For the steadfast throng of funeral goers.
When funny stories were recounted, he smiled
And genuinely felt his friend had been
A good husband and father. Then he wondered,
“Had his friend been truly happy in life?”
He knew he’d taken anti-depressants for years.
He started to muse about himself, as he
Was wont to do, and questioned his own life.
He sifted memories that came to mind.
His first wife said, “He had no empathy.”
He hadn’t been markedly stung by this
Because he didn’t know what the word meant.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard it before.
Some time later, she left him; he moved on.
Years later, he married a lovely woman
And shared a solid partnership with her.
One day, he asked her, “What is empathy?”
She looked at him quizzically and replied,
“It’s walking in another’s shoes, trying
To discern what underlies their emotions
And to react to that in a helpful way.”
He remembered being wholly unprepared
For such a clear and definitive response
And altogether flummoxed imagining
Himself performing in that situation.
He felt he would flounder miserably.
Nevertheless, he’d tried, awkwardly, to
Foster empathy when it seemed to fit,
Enriched by the odd breakthrough but never quite
At ease tramping along another’s street.
She’d added, “Life’s what’s right in front of you,
Not fretting about past or future events.”
While contemplating this, he heard a murmur
With the scuffle of feet as people stood
And shuffled to the end of their pews to leave.
The ceremony was over. He uttered, “Oh!”
gkpoetry 