A good heart,
so rare in the world

People try to take advantage of that
because goodness is no longer seen as strength

It is seen as weakness,
naivety

But goodness is power

Because it takes a lot of courage to go against the stream

It is easy to just follow moods like anger,
especially when it is righteous

It is easy to forget that people are people,
not objects,
and that everyone suffers

It is easy to obliterate something
just because it doesn't suit our preferences

But it is difficult to endure
what seems unendurable

It is difficult to be gentle
when others are harsh

It is difficult to look beyond the narrow circle called "self"
and empathise

Even so,
for goodness to be true power,
it has to be wise

That wisdom is solid and protective
It is sharp and pierces through

So be gentle and kind;
do not let the cruel world make you heartless

This does not mean giving in
and being exploited --
sometimes true love requires establishing your heart
in good intention
and hitting someone squarely on the head

Be soft
but firm
like water that flows
and cuts through the toughest rock


(Photo by Leo Rivas on Unsplash)