Moon Appears When the Water is Still

I came upon a beggar woman covered in dust and grime,
seated at the side of the road.
Someone had given her a plate of food
which had attracted a mangy and growling mad dog.
He too was hungry.
And without hesitation she shared
her only food with him.
He ate and then lay down at her feet.
Locked in their respective karmas,
there was still room for kindness.
And if I could speak her language
(I spoke unilingual affluence and she all the dialects of abject poverty),
I would beg her to tell me
how her heart can shine so brightly
beneath the dust of her life.

Source: Extract from the book by Ian McCrorie.