One Percent Better: A Neighborhood Poem

We all want our neighborhoods to be better—cleaner, friendlier, safer, more connected. But too often, we fall into the trap of believing it takes something big to spark that change. When we stop looking for silver bullets and start taking small, daily actions, change sneaks up on us. Trust is built. Pride returns. So the next time you wonder how to make your neighborhood better, just do one thing today that moves your street in the right direction. Then do it again tomorrow. Because better neighborhoods aren’t built in a day. But they are built every day.

One Percent Better: A Neighborhood Poem

I don’t need to leap the tallest wall,

Or change the world with just one call.

The mountain isn’t climbed in flight—

But step by step, from dark to light.

A whisper more of patience shown,

A moment when I stand alone

And choose the harder, kinder way—

That’s how I rise, day by day.

Not all at once, but bit by bit,

With effort shaped in quiet grit.

Today, I give a little more,

Than I was capable before.

In my own life, I plant the seed

Of growth through thought, through word, through deed.

And in my circle, near and small,

I lift one person, and we all

Begin to shift, begin to strive,

With gentle hands that come alive.

Community, not built in haste,

But in the care we daily place.

I seek no crown, no blazing light,

Just one percent of growing right.

Not perfect—no—but on the way,

A little stronger every day.

Written by David L. Burton

MORE INFORMATION

Take the Engaged Neighbor pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge at https://nomoregoodneighbors.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special invitations to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.com or burtond@missouri.edu. You can also visit his website at https://engagedneighbor.com.