2008-09-12

I have been watching a soap opera lately. I became intrigued with the story line on one of the soaps because, for me it became a real character study in how different types of behavior affect love relationships. This little drama helped me identify the various ways people choose to communicate. We are to “discern” if an action is right or wrong. We are not to “judge” the punishment the person deserves for his or her wrong doing. Empasses in relationships come from failing to recognize the rights of others and failing to respect the others person’s feelings. I want to share with you the poem I read many years ago.

Can we talk? heart to heart soul to soul in unspoken whispers.
communicating in the spirit sharing our pain, without cutting
one another’s heart, exchanging our tears.
without shouting at each others eyes, without pointing accusatory words
exchanging justifications for unheard sentiments…

Can we talk? like the friends we promised to be
like the lovers we once were hanging on each other’s every word
reveling in each other’s breath we took no easy offense
too eager were we to please too busy being on good behavior

we put our best language forward speaking in loving caresses
no problem being too hard to solve if we put our heads
and our hearts together gently, oh so tenderly touching one
another bruises and fears, cleansing and soothing them

with words of comfort and reassurance with nothing
between us to offer resistance we were honest, we were open
speaking the truth in love seasoned with grace we sought
not to offend but to free one another to love more than before…

but now we’ve grown less careful numbed by days grown
too identical and familiar in each other’s presence…
nothing has changed but us bumping into one another’s feelings
stepping over each other’s spirit ignoring each others souls

we talk behind each others hearts until we become convenient strangers
trapped in silent habits prisoners of senseless rages flailing to find
the point where we first began paralyzed from lack of a map
we sit, we wait, we sigh, we shy away from the obvious… can we talk?

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