The last posting remined me of a selection I wrote in Hazelton Lanes, an upscale shopping facility in the Yorkville section of Toronto.

This is an excellent place
to practice non-judgment
surrounded by the beautiful people….
I’ve failed with first glance

As a visitor
to this wealthy conspicuous niche
why is it harder
to practice compassion
off the street
without the sidewalk dramatics
where trembling hands reach up
tattered raiment frame the puddle of humanity
we step over

A Jewish couple
struggle with appearances
economies of expectation
their community
a dominant force in this room
in this neighborhood….
judgment again

Back to this excellent place
I sit
focused on me
where it all begins