The Power of Touch – A Poem by Richard Kalfus
Touching others has profound meaning.
It shows to others that you care
to share both another’s joy and sadness.
A teachers’ touch to a troubled child.
A father talking to a teenage son,
discovering love for the first time.
A homeless man with a sign, “Need money for food,”
welcomed both my five-dollar bill
and my compassionate touch on the shoulder.
An aging parent who no longer knows who you are,
But feels your love and understanding
through your embrace.
A call to a grieving friend at the loss of a child
receives your touch through a consoling voice.
Women no longer have the exclusive right
to touch both men and women.
Men today may touch a long-time friend
as a sign of an enduring bond.
Medical experts all agree:
medication in tandem with a compassionate touch
can often effectively heal both
the physical and the emotional.
Never forget that by touching,
you receive a gift to yourself.
A young man approached me
when getting gas.
I did not recognize the man,
but he knew me.
This once homeless man,
now well dressed…
shook my hand and said,
“You helped me turn my life around,”
Was it my money or my touch?
