The Human Ghost

Carry the hero over your shoulders and sing and dance the day away.

But once you are done and the mood has sombered; and once the air dries up and the
moon embraces the sky; and once the voices die out and the crowds disperse; endow
upon the human ghost a modest smile and a tender touch. Kneel down as you face
him, and kiss his forehead; with a few sweet words acknowledge his existence,
acknowledge his worth.

In the dark of night and in the dark of day, the human ghost walks up and down the
city streets, through its alleys and over its bridges. Oblivious to his presence are the
eyes of men and women. They realize not that the noblest of hearts and the keenest of
intellects are sometimes hidden within the souls of the unpopular, the shunned, the
ignored.

If ever you see a shadow sweeping through a crowd of walkers, stop for a minute then
turn your vision. Focus on that which you may have otherwise considered an
insignificant being and allow it to materialize. Allow it to collapse into reality, with a
gesture perhaps or with words of encouragement and praise. And then, once it has,
walk away.

Verily, that which is given in humanity is lent to the universe, not lost.

A.A. November 23, 2007