Listen to understand
The person
Hear their thoughts
Their points of view
Comprehend their values
Their interests
Feel for what they’re going through

Listen to show
That you respect them
That you care
And can be true
That you can learn
From their knowledge
Where they’re more
Advanced than you

Listen, because
When you do this
Your world unfurls
The sky turns blue
You multiply your wealth and riches
By gaining the wisdom
Of something new.

The lilac perfume
Wafts through the air
The senses are filled
With all that is fair
A garden serene
With lovers and friends
And family gathered
To talk at day’s end
The splash of water
The flowers so bright
Each corner a discovery
A visual delight
And the lake
Like a painting
Pale blue
As the sun
Reflects on the sailboats
Completing their run
Peace hangs in the air
While birds fly about
The children play quietly
And there isn’t a doubt
That a garden in evening
Brings rest to the soul
Preserves sanity
And makes a man whole.

The struggle constant
To the top
When no one else
Has given thought
To rise so early
And set out
The houses silent
No one about
One step, one breath
In constant rhythm
The push, the drive
Towards the heavens
And then imagine
The surprise
The sight awaiting  
Before my eyes
The bright sun risen
And shining as such
Upon a world
In morning hush
Serene, unreal
For down below
The valleys filled
With cloud like snow
And up above
On the mountain top
In golden rays
I pause to stop
And raise my arms
In victory mode
Rejoicing in
The mother lode

The blood pours
And life drains
Triage means
A card with my name
Is held in my hand
Shaking….
Dizzied with shock
On one knee
Tired
Must rest…
As I plead
Going down
To the floor….
There’s shouting….
Awake
A nurse
Is speaking to me
Can you get up?
Looking sideways
I see
Trying to move
Crying….
I get up
To the stretcher
Lying down
Blood
Soaking hands
And running down
Pressure stabilizing…
I regain my strength
To a room
We walk
My son and a nurse
And all the small talk
And stop
The bleeding….

The concert ended
The crowd moved out
The show was over
But I had doubts
Whether I could make
The long trip home
Long, because I was alone
I walked in circles
In downtown
Stole glimpses of treasures
To lift my frown
Floodlit fountains
Candle light
Night time galas
Hidden delights
Couples and friends
In happy times
Cyclists and tourists
Youth in their prime
And I walked alone
Single once more
And I dreaded the thought
Of the waiting door
That would lead to
An empty house
I tried my best the fear
To douse
And then I faced it
And I plunged ahead
And went straight home
To an empty bed

Let go, give space
Allow time to heal
And find a way
With grief to deal
That does not hinder
Stop or curse
The healing of
The wounds we nurse

Give space and time
For quiet reflection
To think of life
And make connections
Sorting out
The ebb and flow
As the avalanche
Of feelings grows
And buries the soul
Beneath its weight
Of deepest hurt
And cruelest hate

Let go, give space
Allow time to be
Have faith
Plants seeds
Of destiny
That will sprout
And blossom
With patience and care
And will work things out
More than we can dare.

To hear the searching of the past
Bring out a pain so fresh
Tells me the wounds
Have never healed
And still can cause distress
You see the little boy or girl
In the eyes of the adult
Reliving painful memories
With always the same result
Of tears and sadness
And cracked voice
As the ghosts howl and haunt
The tentacles of darkness grasp
The demons prowl and taunt.

Lift up your wings
O cherubim
Lift up our downcast spirits
Heal the pain of life I plead
Or teach us how to bear it.