Poetry About Ethics

A wallet waits beneath the empty seat. No camera watches the folded cash. Need speaks quickly; conscience answers slower. I read the address on a worn identity card. Ethics begins where no applause is coming. At dusk, a stranger gets their whole life back.

Look again from the quieter edge. No camera watches the folded cash. A smaller detail changes the whole scene. I read the address on a worn identity card. Attention loosens the first easy answer. At dusk, a stranger gets their whole life back.

A wallet waits beneath the empty seat. Hours pass, but the image does not leave. Need speaks quickly; conscience answers slower. It returns us to right action, responsibility, values, consequences, fairness, and choices made when rules are incomplete. Ethics begins where no applause is coming. The day continues with a more attentive heart.