She said she’d never read the Bible before

She was 31, me, 34

From Florida

She reminded me of my childhood best friend

Anyone could talk to her

Sweet, funny, hardworking, hard to offend

I never really talked to her but from my office outside hers I could hear every conversation

Small talk, life stories, weather, injuries, grandbabies

Every season from every patron

The same ones I hoped would soon check out

Most of them kind

But a few ever seeing yet always blind

When insulted she was gentle in return

I always wished I could be like her

Pretty, patient, eager to help

From my office I called the shots with the cards I was dealt

Often anxious, doubtful, and bitter

Even sometimes mean

Definitely impatient

And all the negatives in between

But I grew up reading the Bible

With my best friend who I never see anymore

She lives in Florida now

I feel liable

At the end of the day I stood there and commiserated

Before I locked up, I waited for my co-worker

We were the last to leave

I was in a daydream when she walked up and told me with a smile, “You’re a good friend,”

We walked to our separate cars

And I never saw her again

I heard the TV preacher that Sunday say something kind-of odd

He said, “The Bible’s all around you

People are made in the image of God”