The Kind Man

A Poem by David Ritter

A story poem about a man who meets a kind man.

Joe sat in his gloomy dark cell,
staring at the black walls of stone.
When a recurring thought of her,
reminded him he was alone.
Because she no longer loved him,
Joe felt like he has lost all hope.
He snatched a willing sheet off his bunk,
to carefully fashion a rope.

But before such drastic measures,
a rash Joe needed to know for sure.
Perhaps she cared enough to write,
then maybe his heart could endure.
So he waited day after day,
as the long months slowly passed by.
At the end of each wretched night,
Joe had found more reasons to die.
`cause not only did she not write,
but friends he no longer had none.
When the mail passed by his cell,
Joe had not a letter, not one.

Feeling forgotten and all alone,
Joe no longer wanted to wait.
A calendar hung on the wall,
he decided to choose a date.
It was the month of December,
Christmas day was a week away.
Joe thought, "I'll help them remember'',
and he circled the 25th day.

With the holiday forthcoming,
never once did Joe have a doubt.
The best time to fulfill his wish,
was 10pm after lights out.
Joe went about his business,
as the chosen day did arrive.
Nobody had the slightest clue,
that soon he would not be alive.

Joe entered into the chow hall,
then settled down to eat his chow.
Suddenly he heard a voice say,
'' You can go to heaven, know how?''
Joe looked up from the half eaten tray,
and sitting straight across from him,
was a kind man who spoke the words,
once again he repeated them.
"You can go to heaven, know how?''
he remarked with a peaceful smile,
"If you're interested at all,
church starts in a little while''.
Joe nodded with a solemn frown,
knowing all the bad he had done.
Then asked, ''will you be at the service"?
The man said, ''I never miss one!''
The kind man rose up and added,
"Make sure that you're not late,
they're having a birthday party,
the celebration starts at 8''.

Joe walked back to his dreary cell,
stretched out upon the harsh bed,
and could not stop thinking about,
everything the kind man said.
It was unusual he thought,
"he never seen the man before'',
but still decided he would go,
an invite he could not ignore.

8pm Joe strolled into church,
and started to look all around.
For the friend he met earlier,
yet he was nowhere to be found.
Disappointment set in again,
because the kind man was not there.
A disinclined Joe marched to the back,
found refuge in an empty chair.

Frustrated he wanted to leave,
before the service was to start,
but the music started playing,
to the depths of Joe's sullen heart.
As the sweet melody succumb,
A gent stood up called Preacher Dave.
Who began telling the story,
of a brave baby born to save.
When this precious child matured,
He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind,
and courageously died on the cross,
for the sins of all of mankind.
All can come to him in prayer,
for the forgiveness for all sin.
If they would open up their hearts,
a loving Saviour would come in.

The most wonderful thing Joe heard,
about learning how to be set free,
one day he could go to heaven,
and live for all eternity!

The story so interesting,
enthralling Joe's full attention,
When Preacher Dave finished preaching,
he gave out an invitation.
Gradually Joe worked up the courage,
although he was somewhat afraid,
stepped forward to accept Jesus,
the wisest choice he ever made.

After the service was over,
an inmate handed Dave a gift,
and announced, "Merry Christmas Preacher,
I hope it gives your heart a lift!''
It was a portrait of Jesus,
that the inmate proudly painted,
when the pleased preacher held it up,
a shocked Joe nearly fainted.
The image stroked on canvas,
and in this inmates own style,
was no other than Joe's kind man,
wearing an ever peaceful smile.