Listen

May God grant me the grace to
listen .
Listen to the rustling of wind whispering to me
in a language undeciphered.
Listen to the broken sob hastily
concealed between fractured
sentences.
Listen to the welcome
in excited “Hellos”
Listen to frosty vibes
hiding behind the skirts of small talk
Listen to patience cracking up
in words strung high on each other
Listen to blatant white lies
masquerading as routine plans
Listen to sheer joy breathing hard
panting at the doorstep in pointy footsteps
Listen to despair sighing in plain
“I am alright ” on phone from afar
Listen to apprehension and sullen negation
soaking the soggy silences.