Shhh .. are you listening 🎧 ? 

We are a funny, busy race,
Always moving at a pace.
We spend our lives, year by year,
Learning things for folks to hear.
We polish words until they shine,
Like fancy glass or aged wine,
But when it’s time to hear a friend,
Our skills seem to hit an end.
We wobble like a jellyfish on shore,
Hearing sounds, but nothing more.
The world is loud, a constant roar,
With people shouting at the door.
From tiny screens to TV news,
Everyone is sharing views.
But what’s the point of every shout,
If no one knows what it’s about?

Imagine life a different way,
Like a dance or gentle play.
Instead of waiting for our turn
To speak the things we’ve come to learn,
We’d pause and think and take a seat,
Making conversation sweet.
We’d listen to the hidden part—
The feelings tucked inside the heart.
A listener is a magic man,
Doing things that no one can.
They walk a mile in someone’s shoes,
Even if they’re ones they’d never choose.
Think of the fights that wouldn’t start,
If we just shared a listening heart.
Think of the pain that we could heal,
Just by saying, “I know how you feel.”
It isn’t lazy to be still,
It takes a focus and a will.

The world is full of things that blink,
Trying to stop the way we think.
But if you listen, you will find
The secrets of another mind.
You’ll build a bridge that’s strong and true,
And learn a thing or two that’s new.
You might find out, to your surprise,
The “fool” you knew is actually wise.
So when you’re talking to a friend,
Don’t rush toward the very end.
Stop the urge to jump right in
With where you’ve been or what you’ve seen.
Take a breath and look their way,
And hear the things they have to say.
In a world that loves its noise,
Listening is the best of joys.
Be the one who’s quiet and kind,
With an open, patient mind.
You might just start a quiet change,

In a world that’s loud and strange—
A revolution, soft and true,
Starting simply… just with you.