An Occasional Chance Encounter

An occasional chance encounter
With a stranger on the street 
Can change life like a tidal wave
And lift us off our feet.
The mystery of wakefulness
Like the dance of rolling dice,
Is filled with rhythm, love and hate
Virtue, darkness, light. 
Bending ‘round from sky to ground,
Heaven, hell and in between;
An occasional chance encounter 
Can turn a whore into a queen.
Who may have been lost in paradise,
Trampled, beaten, bruised;
The **** you spit on yesterday 
Might well have been just you.
Or the skid-row drunk whose soul has sunk
So low you can’t relate, 
To the pain he knows each time it snows 
And the cold winds won’t abate.
Unless, until somebody fills
His heart with dreams again;
An occasional chance encounter
Might mean the world to him.
A word or two of hopefulness,
From nightmares all day long;
A helping hand, one measured stand 
Turns sorrow into song.
And now and then when nothing’s wrong 
And everything feels fine;
No dark cloud storms or feeling worn
Cast clouds upon the mind.
When all feels well and quite routine 
And there’s nothing much to say,
An occasional chance encounter
Can change us all in many ways.
A look in the eye and words that fly
Out of one’s tongue and mouth;
Before we know it love starts to show it 
And the heart starts heading down south.
Running away like a child at play
As if never before set free;
Wild in the wind as one begins 
To open up eyes and see.
That blindness isn’t limited 
To those that have no sight 
But affects us all the weak and small 
Every day and every night. 
As now and then like a Zephyr wind
A stranger comes a’ calling; 
Before we know we’re all a glow
In love and freely falling.
Like a coin toss out of nowhere,
Probabilities, unimaginable; 
An occasional chance encounter
May render life numinous, unfathomable.
Trust me when I tell you that 
There are riches deep inside;
Every soul that ever lived,  
Struggled, loved and died.
As it is written in the book of life
And inscribed inside our heads; 
An occasional chance encounter 
Can find beauty in the beast within
And love where hatred led.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012

Poem

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Wesley Avatar
June 22, 2012 at 12:21 PM
This stuff rolls out of you so effortlessly; can it get any better than this. I love to read your poems Terry, theysay so much and never fail to bring me back time and again. I miss the fact you are here so seldom but understand you are busy. Just wanted you to know I think of you! :)
Wesley Avatar
May 7, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Really great Terry, the chance encounter can change a life and we should be aware what little acts of kindness can do. An inspiring write with so much to think about! :)
Cooke Avatar
April 30, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Would have split this poem into part one and two, if it was me. Much to think about here. Still a very good write. I like it.
Bauer Avatar
April 30, 2012 at 3:02 PM
wow! there is so much truth and beauty in this poem it really knocked my socks off! very perceptive and creatively written. bravo!
Martin Avatar
April 30, 2012 at 3:10 PM
Wow - I Only posted moments ago Ilene. THANK YOU so much for reading and commenting so quickly and most of all glad you enjoyed. YOur thoughts mean the world to me. God Bless, Terry
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