You, Matter

How could it be
That you matter?

In the hundreds of countries
Thousands of cities
Millions of streets
Billions of humans
Gazillions of living organisms
Infinities of the universe?

It could be argued 
That you really do not matter
In the grand scheme
Where everything turns to dust eventually

Or it could be that you do 
Because you matter to your grandmother
Your uncle, aunt, sister, brother
Because you mattered to your ancestors
Long before you were born
And you will matter to your descendants 
Who will read of you in stories

It could be that you matter
Because you cooked a meal to share 
With your lover after a long day 
Because you mattered to the waitress 
Who you took time to thank on your way out the door
Because you matter to the farmer
Who grew your rice in a paddy in Vietnam

Maybe you mattered to that cat
Who you scratched behind the ears
Maybe you matter because you noticed
A butterfly. A haircut. A change of tone.
Maybe you matter to the old friend 
You haven't seen in years
Who just thought of you and wondered
Who are they now?

Is it that you matter
Because you matter to your mother 
Who never stops worrying about you
You haven't left your bed in days 
And you matter to the spiders spinning webs
Delightedly around your door frame
And you matter because you liked that post on Instagram
Shared by a woman who was terrified everyone would hate her words

Do you matter 
Because you said the real thing 
Instead of the nice thing
Because you said no
To just one more plastic bag
Because you hugged your boss
Even when it made him uncomfortable

Does your life matter
Because five or fifty years ago
You planted a tree
And now it's a child's favourite place to swing
And a bird's favourite place to sing
Or is it because you chose to say I love you
In the middle of war

Perhaps because your laugh 
Tickled the joy of a stranger on the bus
Because you took one deep breath
and the atmosphere of the room changed
Because you gave your clothes to the op shop  
and someone found their new best-loved yellow shirt

Would you matter 
If the message you sent made someone's day?
Or ruined it,
And opened the door for them to confide in a friend?
And what if it matters to your father
That you remembered his birthday? 

How about that you matter
Because you matter to me
Because without you I'd have no one
To write these words to
How about you matter
Because you can't go too long 
Without thinking of someone who matters to you
And feeling the pang of caring a little, or a lot

Or could it be that you matter
Simply because you are:
Matter.
And there is no place in the universe 
Where that is not a miracle