Best Listener

Art of listening, best taught
by the family pooch –
ears attuned to nuances
carefully weeding through
human gibberish
for words that resonate –
treat, dinner, walk, cuddles…

Eyes inviting compassion
conveying depth beyond understanding
and when tone turns impatient
little paws retreat, as if words are blows

If only I could learn to listen
hear the workings of your mind
inquisitive, compelling – imagine
what I might learn….

(Best Listener first appeared here, August 2020. Image my own)

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VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

29 thoughts on “Best Listener”

  1. There’s an old Gary Larson cartoon with a dog listening to his owner and the thought bubble over the dog’s head is “Blah, blah, blah, Ginger, blah, blah, blah” It would be interesting to know what they think. I have taught my cats several phrases through the years. Of course each knows his/her name but also, “supper”, “eat”, “inside”, “outside” and the lap cat also knows “Want to watch TV?” When I had a dog she had a much larger vocabulary.

    I enjoyed your poem, VJ, and that is such a cute photo of your pooch.

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