Ordinary Goodness by Leslie Bustard

…the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts…”
—George Elliot

Like many prayers said for the sick,

and thoughtful meals given after a baby is born.

Or when friends come to paint old walls
and fix broken steps.

As in listening ears and encouraging words.

Cards sent on hard days.
Trucks and hands for moving furniture.

The grandmother who watches her daughter’s
children—sharing her days with them.

And all those who mow their neighbors’ lawns
and drive them to the pharmacy.

The goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Leslie Bustard lives in a century-old row home in Lancaster City, PA with her husband of 32 years, Ned. Here they raised their three daughters. Leslie writes for The Cultivating Project, shares poetry on Black Barn Online, and is eagerly waiting for her new book Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children to be published this spring through Square Halo books. Leslie also loves being with friends and family—laughing, talking ideas, wandering in museums, or eating ice cream with them.