POEM AND PHOTO BY ED NORTHEN
When I was young
my mother instructed me
to give everyone in my class
a Valentine card
mom believed in equality
no one gets left out
no favorites
everyone deserves love
Valentines being a metaphor
to love your neighbor
even small gestures of kindness
are meaningful to the recipient
especially to refugees
who are seeking shelter
on a cold winter night
because there is no room at the inn