Originally published 08-21-19
I have had several experiences this week that have taught me
the priceless value of friends who know how to really listen. When I wrote this
poem, it wasn’t based on any specific personal experience, but I think we all have times
in our lives where we need friends who know how to hear silence.
To Friends Who Know How to Hear Silence
When the loudest noise is the stubborn air conditioner,
and tears rolling on cheeks,
When words are gone, are incomplete,
though repeated however heartfelt,
When it seems that each man—and I—am an island,
an ocean away from true connection,
an ocean away from humanity,
When all I have inside that must be said has
no words, no true names,
When my thin voice cannot capture my bursting soul,
How thankful I am for friends
who know how to hear silence.
