Listen is a Verb-Poetry in Five

It’s Five Min. Friday, and you know what that means!  I will be linking up with my writing friends at Lisa Jo’s and bringing you my own twist of the exercise which I call “Poetry in Five” (you can click on that to read past poems).  I ended up doing Free Verse today instead of rhyme.  The word I had to write on today was LISTEN.

Go

Listen is a Verb:

 

It is when I Stop to listen that I truly HEAR.

What’s not being said outright,

but what is being spoken without words.

(Those gentle nuances that say so much more than words do alone)

Do you take time to really Listen to your fellow man?

To listen to the cries of their heart-

To not just be a casual bystander ,

Words spilling over you and running right off (like a water resistant rain coat so to speak :)),

Without absorbing the essence of it all-

But to be fully immersed,

To be a participant-

Putting aside Self for a moment,

Fully Present (in this modern age of multi-tasking),

to Truly engage for a moment in the life of another?

For this is where true connections are formed…

Not of the shallow variety,

But REAL , honest to goodness heart connections

that bridge the gap of differences-

Uniting us in Spirit,

as we realize we are all tied together

in this Human experience.

Listen is a Verb.

When we become active listeners,

We celebrate with jubilation one another’s dreams, passions, and accomplishments.

We lessen one another’s sorrows and burdens to make the load more bearable.

Emptiness is often replaced with a feeling of fulfillment, as we connect with something outside of ourselves.

We make a difference in the world.

We sometimes change lives. (you may not think you are making a difference to someone, but don’t underestimate the power of listening.  You may just be that blessing someone prayed for today!)

Often our own lives are changed in the process,

And we are richer for it.

For it is when we stop to Listen,

that we truly Hear…

And that is what makes all the difference.

 

Stop

©Rebekah Ann Stephenson 2013

 

 

Here is a challenge for this coming week:  Slow down and pay attention to if you are listening as a verb this week.  When you take time to engage more fully and be more present as an active listener, how does it affect your relationship or connection with your spouse, friends, coworkers, family, or even a stranger?

What are your thoughts?  Feel free to share as together “We Live Inspired”,

~Rebekah