In the art of listening
Love is the best ear
of the heart.
In the midst and distraction
of the noise around us
and the noise within us
how can we both listen
with the ears of love
in our hearts?
Listening is an art
of hearing
not just the words
in the voice
but the silent voice
in the words!
We can only understand
when we take time to listen
without self induced
prejudice, pride or
preoccupation of other things.
Listening is an art
of being singlehearted,
mindly focused
and soully attuned
to the cry for care
and loving attention
from the one we listen to.
Marriage is the best field
and friendship too
for the practice
of the art of listening.
Here is a hypothetical question
written in a poster
authored by God,
"If you cannot understand
my silence,
how can you understand
my words?"
In talking to each other
we need spaces between our words
to allow the other to listen
the meaning behind each uttered word
and in the silence that follows still
the hearer can understand
the roots and causes
why such word is said.
A spoken word
is a multifaceted symbol
of a satellite of realities
in one's soul within
and one's life outside.
I can only master
the art of listening
when in my own life
I create spaces of silence
to listen and pray
and hear God's voice
"You are my beloved...
Don't be afraid...
I am with you always...
Today, you will be with me
in paradise!"
The poem above is written out of my own personal experience of speaking and listening with my wife Marl during the course of our one year and 10 months marriage. In every experience of life, at times cluttered somehow my the complexities of trying to listen, understand and bear each other in love, nothing is lost. Best of things are learned in the the art of listening.
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