A stranger's poem

I heard a beautiful sound in the distant just after yoga class last night. I was walking to the subway station and as I neared the intersection of Spadina and Bloor, I was able to identify the source of the music - it was a man playing what looked like a small harp. The soft and soothing melody that the instrument created reminded me of something you would hear in a yoga studio or a spa - it was lovely. It was such a nice treat to hear before entering the busyness and noise of the subway. In my appreciation, I gave the stranger all the change I had in my wallet and he reciprocated this gesture by giving me two small sheets of paper which contained poems he wrote decades earlier.

The stranger's name was Michael and here is one of his poems:

Remember only
that love lives on,
that it is the power of Life
that it is the source of help and strength,
don't let doubt cut it with her knife

Remember that love
is like the moon in the sky
like a flower after the snow
like a beat in your heart
when you're faced with a choice
and tells you which way to go

Remember the moments
that have been kindliest to you
how little someone needed to give,
remember the hand that reached out to touch you,
remember the smile of their love

Remember the warm water
that flowed through your body
when someone said deeply they cared

Remember the love
that a kitten can give,
as she looks around with eyes so bared

Remember that prayer
is the sending of power
to wrap around someone with love

Remember that every
breath that you take
is really a gift of love

Remember the spring,
remember the autumn,
remember the cycles of Life

Remember that love
always lives on
don't let doubt hurt you with her knife

Remember the seasons
remember to give,
remember someone may wait for you

Remember and smile
when you wonder of Life,
remember that love does live on

Michael
N.Wales, 1984, Autumn