Love Poem: Kindness
Hi-Dong Chai Avatar
Written by: Hi-Dong Chai

Kindness

Kindness is smile
Kindness is helping hand
Kindness is encouraging words
Kindness is glue that bind us

First year in America
I had a teacher in high school
Miss Rouelle was her name
She used her lunch hours
To teach me English
Good morning, she said
I looked at her
Not knowing how to respond
She smiled
Repeat what I just said
Good morning

She told me to write about
My father and mother
My brothers and sisters
My country during WWII and Korean War

I wrote in broken English
She returned my writings
With corrections all over
But she never laughed at how I wrote
Instead, she said
Your writing is improving everyday

It happened more than 60 years ago
I still carry my deep gratitude
To Miss Rouelle
Who used her lunch hours
To teach me English

Thank you, Miss Rouelle
Thank you for your kindness