I made a box. A simple thing.
It never had a key.
I left it in the open
and asked the world to see.
People came from everywhere to see
this box I shared with pride.
Some stared. Lost in wonder.
Some thrust their hands inside.
Their faces always changing
Disappointed. Happy. Sad.
Once I heard some laughter.
Often they looked mad.
One by one they all withdrew
having seen all they could see.
At last there was some quiet now
just my little box and me.
It didn’t look much different
but the box somehow had changed.
It was all at once familiar
yet all together strange
I wiped away a bit of dirt
and opened up the lid.
Inside this little box of mine
a little note was hid.
I took the piece of paper out
placed my box upon the ground
and pondered at this little note
this message I had found.
It read,

“All I saw was just a box
as I passed it through the crowd.
Then I stopped to think on it
(It was me who laughed out loud.)
The point was not the box at all,
The point was what we shared.
A group of strangers coming here
showing how we cared.
The box was always empty.
You had nothing there to hide
and every soul that opened it
left themselves inside.
Not everyone will understand
the gift you gave today.
Some will think you tricked them
and you did… in a way.
So now I leave this note for you
to show that someone knew
that box had more than what we saw.
That box was part of you.”
I stared for so long at that note
I memorized each word.
Not a word was spoken but
the thought was clearly heard.