Say Hello
For making new friends

Meeting on a branch,
or sitting on a bench,
or waiting for the bus,
who can ever know
what gifts will be exchanged
simply by saying hello?
A potent prompt,
a penetrating question,
a piece of information,
a crucial new connection.
We come to each other as strangers.
We end up as teachers and guides.

A pictured poem by
Jonathan Jennings Harris October 12, 2025