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Sidewalk Sincerity

“Hi—how are you?” he said to me,
A friendly thing to say,
I answered just as cordially,
But he had walked away.

.

.

Evolution

I love to have close relatives and numerous good friends,
Maintaining each relationship so that it never ends.
But in a move reflective of maturity and growth—
Those who have been ungrateful, unappreciative, or both,
Folks largely unresponsive as if I should never mind,
The people often critical, or even worse, unkind,
Who say things that long afterward I still find myself ruing,
The ones who talk about themselves and don’t ask how I’m doing,
Those having no desire to get together I can see,
Or otherwise whose actions indicate they don’t like me—
Since they all sadly offer little now that would be missed,
It’s with regret that I delete them from my Contacts List.

But burgeoning acquaintances, new friends and family are
All added over time, and bring more happiness by far.

.

.

More and More

More and more I’ve come to learn
I’m not all people’s cup of tea,
But now that’s less of a concern
As more and more I’m pleased with me.

.

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Russel Winick recently started writing poetry after ending a long legal career. He resides in Naperville, Illinois.

4 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Those helloes on sidewalks do not sound sincere. I’d rather say goodbye as they disappear. My own friend/contact list has evolved over time, since I have found new ones and dismiss the swine. You should be pleased with you, since what you write is true.

    Reply
  2. Cheryl Corey

    All are fabulous and very relatable, Russel. I know what it’s like to reach out to people I’ve known for years, even decades; only to see them never reciprocate with a call or email. Someone I used to consider a best friend would only contact me at Christmas with a photo card of her two dogs, year in, year out. I’m over it! I would say that your post-legal career is your best!

    Reply
  4. Brian Yapko

    Thank you for these entertaining and thought-provoking poems, Russel. I related very strongly with “Evolution.” My list of old friends and compatible relativesr has shrunk dramatically in the last few years — primarily because I no longer pass their ideological litmus tests. That’s fine with me as I don’t much cotton to being gaslighted, mocked or gossiped about. I’m grateful for new friends with whom I have much stronger connections. I now befriend people based on shared values, honesty and the sense that we are walking the same road. They are fewer in number but far more cherished.

    Reply

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