Tally (for JSP)

It is never a competition

just a simple accounting

the energy and the worry

the hours and the dollars

spent in care and compassion

invisible

it is never the recognition

not some acknowledgement of virtue

but a straight arrow

in true flight

on the right course

rarely deviating

from the path

we tally it up

we weigh the actions

thinking true

making the assessment

of a life lived well

a life spent giving

of self and of time

to care for those who matter

those who are in need

making the world better

in small and steady steps – Caroline A. Slee