It’s no small thing that cleaners clean,
doing God’s work with bare hands, insisting even when it surpasses duty
It’s no small thing when the driver says, “I’ll pick it up now”
when he’s well within his rights to collect and deliver two mornings hence
It’s no small thing when a man labours long hours, even under the weight of grief,
Repeating day after day that, “it’s no problem”
It’s no small thing that men and women with anonymous, perhaps unglamorous titles
are oft on short notice call; making the visions of others come to fruition
It’s no small thing to wake this morning,
spooning coffee into a mug at will, mixing granules, hot water and milk
It’s no small thing to prepare breakfast, satisfying and warm
And in the pouring rain to arrive mostly dry at destinations of need and choice
It’s no small thing when a colleague’s deft problem-solving skills
finds the solution to a networking gremlin, that work carries on
even though the interruption comes at a time which is less-than-optimum
It’s no small thing that said interruption doesn’t happen that often
It’s no small thing when a businessman supports children who are not his
and benefactors give benefit anonymously
It’s no small thing when someone seals their tongue,
in a culture greedy for proliferating gossip mongering
It’s no small thing to remain non-combatant,
to choose instead to dialogue interestedly with someone who disagrees
It’s no small thing that you close your eyes, lift your heart and drop to your knees,
even when you struggle to believe
As a childhood friend once teased, “It’s that small thing”
Bernadette Richards is from Cape Town. For her, creativity is one of the best forms of therapy. She enjoys observing and hearing the works of various forms of art.