Blind Man

There was once a man on the side of a road.

His eyes were blank and his hands were cold.

He shivered and shook as he held up a sign:

"PLEASE HELP, GOD BLESS" written in shaky hand.

Occasionally he heard the clink of a coin

or the flutter of a dollar bill.

But most of the time, he heard nothing

outside of the normal sounds of the city.

People walking and talking, too busy to care

for a poor blind man

with nothing to share.

Then one day he heard a man

who decided to stop for a chat.

The man said

"Hello, I'm Gabriel. And you are?"

The blind man was so stunned by conversation

that he forgot his real name.

"I'm the blind man," he said,

so used to his blindness

that he let it define his identity.

"Well, Blind Man," said Gabriel.

"Let me offer you a wish:

Anything you want,

it shall be yours.

You've led an honest life,

never taking, only earning.

You've gone through struggle and strife,

you deserve a reward.

So, if you want,

I can take away your blindness.

Just say the word, and you'll see."

The blind man thought

and thought some more.

He figured this man was lying.

But if he wasn't, if he was for real...

what would he wish for?

He sighed, a long, hard sound, and looked Gabriel

in the place where he thought his eyes would be.

"My only wish," the blind man said,

"Is for everyone to be as blind as me."