You Matter by James Crews

All we can do in times like these

is offer things that say to others:

You matter to me. The Mason jar

of chicken soup given to a neighbor,

or the clay mug shaped

by the hands of a friend, with a

dog and goldfinch painted on the

side-how it arrived in the mail

unbroken. A phone call out of the

blue, or message that says:

Thinking of you. Let's wrap each other

in gestures so true, no one ever doubts

how much they belong, no one ever

questions whether or not to stay.