Outside the local supermarket in my small town,
Salvation Army volunteers sit beside the Red Kettle,
ringing their red bells, playing recorded Christmas carols.
Mostly older, they work their shift,
greet neighbors, chat with friends.
In Midtown Manhattan in early November,
the Army deploys a different vibe,
two young people, on a busy street corner,
boom box blaring hip-hop music.
In red costumes, they dance
with wild athleticism, sing loudly,
attract lots of attention. They call out to
strangers walking by, urging them to give.
The elderly volunteers with their tinkling bells
would be swallowed up in the street noise of Manhattan.
The cacophony of the hip-hop duo would cause
consternation at the entrance to Ralphs.
But the generosity of the season lives everywhere.