[deathbypoem]

Dear man in the media services van
who saw me clutching my laptop
while running through the rain,

It was absolutely, stunningly,
ridiculously kind of you
when you thrust your umbrella
through the open window
at the stoplight and
insisted that I take it.
You swore you had plenty more,
but the gentle wear and care on the handle
and peak tell me that this
was a well loved,
well taken care of umbrella for many years.

I thanked you not nearly enough
before you drove off
at the change of the light.
I will be keeping this umbrella
as a cherished reminder of
random acts of human kindness,
and I promise to pay it forward
at the first opportunity.

~Anonymous