The Art of Listening

A short poem about the challenges of listening in relationships

You come home,

defeated,

just wanting me to understand.

I listen,

but then my

impatience gets the upper hand.

The yelling.

Door slamming.

It's hard to believe…

how much there

is to know

about the art of listening.

You say you’re

not looking

for me to help you problem-solve.

You’re wanting

an ally,

a shoulder you can cry upon.

Again I

say I’m sorry.

I hope that you can see…

I’m just a

beginner

in the art of listening.

Fresh flowers.

Nice dinner.

Another year together now.

We’ve given

and taken

to barely make it through somehow.

The white-hot

heat of battle

can sometimes lead to peace.

We’ve both made

concessions

to the art of listening.