My Heart Hurts

A friend came for lunch.   We walked to the beach and sat there for a while.  My heart hurt the whole time.  I held it as gently as possible.  I told Cory when I went for massage, and she praised me.
My heart aches.  I soften around it and hold it as gently as I can.  Dear Heart, is there anything you need to say?
I hurt, for the species that are going extinct, for the destruction of the cod fishery off Newfoundland, for the poisoning of the gulf of Mexico, for all the people who’ve lost their work in the fishing industry, for all the people who’ve been driven out of their homes by bank foreclosures, and the people who are “underwater” with mortgages higher than their homes are worth.  I hurt for all the people who are in prison unjustly, for all the children currently being abused in their families.  I hurt for children orphaned by disaster, trying to live in the streets, for all the young girls sold into brothels.  For all the people like me who are lonely, lost, and isolated, and can’t find people of like mind.  For all the people struggling with clinical depression in a hostile, ignorant culture.