Ticket to Radical Responsibility
It was free so I took it.
I had no idea where it would lead.
An open call to my conscious
I wondered if attending a sermon from a 
Different religion counted.
Or if my class from the community police academy
Would suffice as an entry into the behind scenes.
Perhaps a walk with a stranger on the road down to their garden,
 the one I pass daily  would count as radical.
Or recognizing the kindness in the eyes of 
The homeless person who startled me as he  huddled in the foyer, 
Apologizing for startling me in the wee hours of the morning as he shot up.
Free connotes no cost.
Responsibility  evokes connections, an obligation requiring effort.
Reading new authors, new genres, new thoughts.
All  this trigger tears, drains my heart with 
History’s indiscretions.
I cry as we repeat and fail humanity.
The ticket was free.
It will be good for a lifetime.
Radical responsibility
Begins with my voice, my words, my connections.
Freedom  
Is not Free.

http://www.abberolnick.com I’d love to hear from you. Contact me at my website and offer your thoughts and query me on my new book, The Underpainting.