It’s Hard to Listen
I wrote this yesterday. I suppose it’s more of a first draft. It’s something I’ve been thinking about, especially as I look at maps colored red and blue and wonder how we might begin to stitch ourselves back together.
I hope you’re all hanging in there.
Liz
Beautiful!!! And so important.
Thank you! ❤️️ ❤️️ ❤️️
Strong poem Liz, I like your metaphor of the ribbon and bit of hope—good image too, thanks! ????????
Thanks, Michelle.
I love your d r a f t & not only the crafting of it but the intention of it, Liz.
We have mixed-views-BeLoved-family members & work mighty overtime, to separate our love of them, from their unreasonable/unacceptable political stands. This is a help.
Thanks, Jan.
Oh my, it makes me wonder so much how teachers will help their students during this so divisive time. This is wonderful, LIz! I love the final lines & the way they sound read aloud.
Thanks, Linda, I definitely had teachers in mind when I was writing this.
Yes, listening, hearing, communicating — all more critical than ever. And it starts one on one. Thanks for your timely poem. 🙂
Jama, yes! One on one, one conversation at a time.
This is so sweet and human and possible when I read it in your poem. Thank you!
This is a wonderful message and a lovely poem. We all need this right now. Thanks for sharing it here.
Great poem and I especially liked the last two lines, Liz. I think this would be a wonderful poem to read aloud in classrooms. I think we are all wondering how we might begin to stitch ourselves back together.
Liz, I really connected with your poem. I have been listening to the new Matt Berninger (from The National) Album, ‘Serpentine Prison’ and I felt the interconnectedness of the writing themes –
‘Wake me
Take me out of town to the end
Of any road that you wanna go down
Make me
Make me listen all the way
To the end of any road…’
Your poem is perfect for now. Perfect for anywhere and anyone. Love it!
Your poem is a gift with “a billowing ribbon” on top, Liz. Thanks for sharing them with us during THIS time in history. 🙂
Yes. I’ll add this to my small set of metaphors for moving forward. We MUST get out of our own heads (and agendas) and listen.
It IS so hard. Trump is really the first time I’ve ever felt actual anger toward family members or friends who support him. It’s a visceral response, and I’m trying so hard to tamp it down. I’m guilty of not listening because my brain and heart just seem to shut down and go numb immediately where he’s concerned. Thank you for this. I mostly avoid talking politics–all the time, not just the past 4 years. But in this new era, it’s clear silence is complicit agreement. So I’m trying to learn to be both more vocal and to be able to listen. Really listen. Thanks for your lovely poetic reminder.
Thanks for sharing this poem–it’s what children and their grownups need to hear right now. I really hope we can all learn to listen to each other.
Perfect for this time!
I can so relate to this poem, Liz! I especially love the last two lines. Thanks for sharing.