When you listen you affirm me,
but your listening must be real:
sensitive and serious,
not looking busily around,
not with a worried or distracted frown,
not preparing what you will say next,
but giving me your full attention.
You are telling me that I am a person of
value, important and worth listening to,
one with whom you will share yourself.
I have ideas to share,
feelings which too often I keep to myself,
deep questions which struggle inside
me for answers.
I have hopes only tentatively acknowledged
which are not easy to share, and pain and
guilt and fear I try to stifle.
These are sensitive, are real and a real part
of me, but it takes courage to confide in
another.
I need to listen too if we are to come close.
How can I tell you I understand?
I can show interest with my eyes or an occasional
word, attuned to pick up not only the spoken words,
but also the glimmer of a smile,
a look of pain, the hesitation, the struggle
which may suggest something as yet too deep for words.
So let us take time together, respecting the other's
freedom, encouraging without hurrying,
understanding that some things may never be
brought to light, but others may emerge if given time.
Each, through this listening, enriches the other with the
priceless gift of intimacy.
Keith Pearson
Melbourne Australia
