Sometimes

Sometimes I cry.
I cry because someone I never met killed another human being.
I cry because politicians use lives as gambling chips.
I cry because too often both justice and mercy are denied to victims of all kinds.
I cry because cruelty and hatred is as human as forgiveness and compassion.

Sometimes I get angry.
I get angry because a friend would rather talk than listen.
I get angry because a stranger would rather argue than debate.
I get angry because a coworker was careless of my time and energy.
I get angry because I am as flawed as the people around me.

Sometimes I laugh.
I laugh because a child giggles at falling snow.
I laugh because a friend shared something that made them think of me.
I laugh because a puppy licks my face at the end of a long work day.
I laugh because joy and love are the only antidote to despair and isolation.

Sometimes, I don't feel anything at all.

I am always grateful, to feel anything at all.