The Power of a Smile

A number of years ago,
I was touched
By a story I read
In a bay area newspaper
That reminded me
Of the power of a smile.
It seemed that there was
A lonely young woman
Who jumped to her death
Off the Golden Gate Bridge.
When the police traced back
To her apartment,
They found a note that said
She intended to walk
Seven miles through
The streets of the city,
And if just one person
Along the way
Were to greet her
With a smile,
She would know that
Life was worth living.
She made that walk,
And no one bothered.
I sometimes wonder
If I had been there,
Would I have noticed
Her searching eyes
And granted her a smile
That would have
Saved her life.
How many others
Are there just like her,
Desperately hoping
For the simplest of signs
That someone cares?
A smile isn’t too steep
A price to pay.