Are you listening?

Are you listening? 

And what are you listening for?

 Can you hear the changes in the wind,

 Or the ache in a stranger’s heart? 

The battle cries of a conscripted soldier 

Who never wanted to fight, 

Or the tears of his mother, 

Worried he won’t make it home? 

Do you listen to the stories of the elderly 

And hear the loneliness, the wisdom, 

And the longing for respect; for engagement? 

Are you really paying attention 

To your friend, to your mate, or to your soul? 

Can you hear the wounds of the child within, 

Who longs to express her long-buried fears? 

Are you listening, and what are you hearing?