Quick Encounters

Some people are just uncomfortable
She is putting on a smile
under her mask
I don’t know if it’s her
or it’s me
She’s nice, a little hurried
Even her son’s spirit
seems lost to the horizon
They are no strangers

Some people hurry
and still
make me feel safe
mask or no mask

There is a message
tucked away
behind one’s flesh

I can meet a stranger
even have a quick encounter
and feel kinship

The lady in the Santa hat
ringing her bell
at this time of year
as if she’s always been there
She’s warm

Her message says, “Hello.”
Nothing nefarious, truly kind

Don’t get me wrong
it could be me…

Maybe I’m too approachable
encroaching in an unwanted space…

Still the angel
that went to heaven
had wide open arms

it could be me…
I will always wonder
but then I’m too old
to be bothered

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023



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Date: 1/24/2024 3:46:00 AM
Back with congratulations on your poem being on the best new 100 poems' list. Sara K
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 1/24/2024 4:02:00 AM
Thank you so much, Sara!
Date: 12/29/2023 10:08:00 AM
Congratulations on being on the "100 Best New Poems" list for Soup. A wonderful write. Have a great/wonderful day/2024 writing away.................
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/29/2023 12:19:00 PM
Thank you and for telling me. I didn’t know! :)
Date: 12/27/2023 3:08:00 PM
It's a wonderful time of year. More genuine, less guarded. Congratulations on this recognition. Good to see you are still writing.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/27/2023 7:00:00 PM
Thank you so much, Dean! Blessings!
Date: 12/9/2023 8:26:00 AM
A great portrayal of a conflict we face. On the surface, we're smiling, but are troubled inside. It leaves us wondering.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/9/2023 8:16:00 PM
Truly! Oh one day in heaven we can wonder to our heart’s content and see miles and miles of smiles! :)
Date: 12/8/2023 3:53:00 PM
Very personal yet deep... I could see you walking around a mall somewhere. :)
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/9/2023 8:15:00 PM
I was at Sam’s Club. Mall’s are a bit scary nowadays. I don’t visit them often.
Date: 12/7/2023 5:14:00 AM
Very nice poem to read today Kim. Well done :)
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/7/2023 5:32:00 AM
Thank you, Heidi!
Date: 12/6/2023 9:29:00 PM
An enjoyable read, Sorry for posting so little. Getting old. Hugs.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/7/2023 5:32:00 AM
No problem, my friend xx
Date: 12/6/2023 8:17:00 PM
Your poem is just delightful, and so true, Kim. Oftentimes chance encounters leave lasting impressions. Others involve simply a smile or a kind word. Beautifully written! :)
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 8:29:00 PM
Thank you, Evelyn! :)
Date: 12/6/2023 6:56:00 PM
Oh, this poem is quite insightful and reflective.. Sometimes, people whom we know, can possess a certain uncomfortable aura and those strangers can bring us a special joy whom we have met in just few moments.. You've presented those feelings and thoughts in a very intriguing way here.. Wonderfully crafted.. And that ending as well! :)
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 7:12:00 PM
Thank you, Hiya! I appreciate you!
Date: 12/6/2023 11:56:00 AM
I know a few people like this.. well expressed Kim..
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 3:32:00 PM
Thank you, my friend!
Date: 12/5/2023 7:44:00 PM
How about those 'dark-alley' Santas? Ever have a quick encounter with one of them? No beards, no gifts, no muss, no fuss. ~ Robbed and Pillaged
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 6:01:00 AM
Thankfully no but I do remember one horror movie where scary Santa shows up at the door. Beware the elf that shows up in your home…lol.
Date: 12/5/2023 5:57:00 PM
Your last stanza brings it home for me. Yes, I could wonder but I am too old to care.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 6:01:00 AM
For sure! Hugs
Date: 12/5/2023 5:55:00 PM
so lovely words, and kind message for our hearts, njoyed this warm poem as we all need, take care poet
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 6:02:00 AM
Thank you kindly, Yann! :)
Date: 12/5/2023 5:21:00 PM
Enjoyed a nice look into one of best parts of the busy-ness of life. Kinship is such a good feeling. Loved the last stanza, and it seems like it's probably them.
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Kim Rodrigues
Date: 12/6/2023 6:02:00 AM
And I thank you for that…lol
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