The Listening Commission
Listening
Whispered Intuition
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Secrets by the Sea
I always choose my words carefully Even more so as you listen to me But somehow silently now suddenly I see my secrets have drifted out to sea. I’m a witness as my thoughts unfurl My secret privacies untangle and uncurl Confidences once kept in fear by me Now freed soar high above the sea. And because you listened to me My silent secrets once solitary Are calling and beckoning to me As they climb beyond the sky and sea. So dimly I discern Perhaps there might be A sanctuary of safety For me and my secrets by the sea.
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Everyone Failed Social Media : Except Mark Colvin
I knew Mark Colvin (and his kidney!) purely through Twitter! And sad at his loss.
I did read some of his interview transcripts: a gentle questioner able to get a better answer! But in the maelstrom that is Twitter, he came across as funny, intelligent, curious, never ever patronising, clever and subtle, a joy to read.
And his last tweet!!
I think every one failed social media except for Mark Colvin.
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Learning Disagreement Skills
Go on, click the angry icon. Share the negative post or tweet.
Slip in and quickly criticise. Tell the other how they got it completely wrong.
They lack intelligence. Common sense. Logic.
Sit back and easily insult the unlike you.
They can’t even think. They’re Inhuman. We should wipe them out.
Yes it’s so easy to disagree and oppose. And easiest to offer no solution.
I thinking this as I read each tweet storm. And think even more as I click through each Facebook outbreak outrage.
I realise it is so familiar. For it was exactly the same as my experience.
For at quite close range and for quite a long time, I heard the same words for the same reason.
For to disagree, even silently through to mildly evoked white-hot anger.
Sometimes in despair, I joined in and fully embraced the proferred down spiral.
Until somebody asked, “So how did that work for you Andrew?”
I’d shake my head silent. I said no, it didn’t, it didn’t at all, it made things far worse.
“So what are you going to about it Andrew?”
(How can you make it better?).
There was the beginning of an answer.
I was learning disagreement skills.
Not the “let’s agree to disagree” cliche. That only suspended hostilities for now. And led to a ever widening DMZ!
Be silent Andrew. Don’t interrupt the the other. Listen to the person behind the words.
Sit stock still Andrew. Don’t move and distract the other. Don’t insult them for not thinking like you.
For no-one thinks like you. Which is a wonderful thing! For everyone and you too.
Ask the question that goes beyond the question. Wait for the answer that reveals another’s truth. Not to you. To them.
Listen and bide your time, then you’ll find that it’s the time. For the quiet and thoughtful ones to be heard.
Who speak without the intent of crushing free speech. Who speak and listen to encourage freedom of listening.
To enable those who accept truth without question (as you once did) to find their own. And others find theirs.
Otherwise it gets too dark when we all agree not to look for the light.
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The Third Whisper Of Love
Safe between the cold clouds and their rain How can I ever want for heat again? This warmth will always be enough for me No longer tepid and lukewarm I'll be. And to hold one breath and another That is yours as our spirit melds together Who would want ever to speak to be heard When all is listening already and always? Yet how can I ever be silent When in you there is all that is yet to be said? Yet when I speak from you I hear another The voice one of a third infinite lover. But not one that would rend us asunder No that's earths unjust storm and thunder It's a soft whisper louder than breath Louder even than that last drawn before death But this soft trill is no harbinger of hate No this quiet voice heralds love's true fate Which is to salve and heal the solitary one And weave together untorn two once alone And much more like the quiet gardener still Plant unkillable seeds, water, wait and till And reap fully a love once merely finitely That embraces all enjoined in an everlasting trinity.
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Captured By An Audience
You never really wanted to go out there. You’re outnumbered for one thing. You know that any false move in front of them will be the last and final one. You’re thinking that the light is too bright, your voice will be too soft, your tread too heavy, your stance too awkward. You’re really scared to death, deep down. You don’t know why what starts you on those first steps out there. You shuffle tentatively at first. Then you’re puzzled as to why you then confidently stride forth. It’s as if you’re already a success. Like you’ve already been applauded and called back for more. And then you meet.
You’re all alone, just you and them. You never expected them to listen, even for a moment. You start as you always do. You focus on relaxing yourself. Or you’re trying to look relaxed. Or acting as if you already are. But now you don’t have time to be confused. You’re already speaking. And listening to your tone, your rhythm, your timbre and your breath. For it’s as if to your great relief, at the very last moment, someone far more confident than you’ll ever be has stood in for you. And saved you. And for that you silently give great thanks.
But in all of that you kept on speaking. And you never think that ten seconds in, they’re looking you in the eye. And that after eleven seconds, you can look straight back at them. And that after thirty seconds in, they’ve stopped fidgeting, all of them. You watch extra carefully and realise you’ve never seen so many people sit so still for so long, ever. You start to become aware that perhaps these people may have started to listen to you. You’d never think that there could be such a thing as an inviting silence. And you’re in it,far too involved now to realise how rare and precious is the privilege they have extended to you. And you meditate upon that and think perhaps you really do have something far more to say than your trite rehearsals. And you keep on speaking amazed and astonished.
But you were waiting for the whisper, the voice too loud, just enough that will silence you and your words forever. But it never speaks. It is struck silent by the silence. It never speaks because there’s nothing for it to say. Yet you say it just the way you’ve said it before. And in the reality, it’s better than you’ve ever heard. You never think the pause for breath, which seemed in practice so short and now is an everlasting chasm of time, is perfect comic timing. You make the joke that you’ve heard far too many times before. You know they’ve heard it for the first time. As now do you.
You find yourself unexpectedly relaxing and experiencing that joy of the endless moment. And you’re left wondering why you ever were afraid in the first place!
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This Teleconference Has Been Postponed…
At last! Another opportunity to catch up on the backlog of outstanding work.
A telecon
ference! I dialed in, entered the meeting identification, my pin and spoke my name.
Then I placed my phone in hands-off mode and muted myself.
I knew I was safe because:
- I wouldn’t be asked to contribute
- I had very little to contribute
- I didn’t want to contribute
- I had a document to compose.
As people signed into the teleconference, I started to listen absently. As it continued, my attention wandered even more. Meanwhile people were dropping in and out. This meeting I thought was starting to resemble Tripp & Tyler’s A Conference Call In Real Life.
But once the momentum resumed, I every so often stopped what I was doing and jot down a few notes. I thought to myself this was a very unfocused conversation indeed. Perhaps a facilitator or mediator might help. Besides nearly everyone else was on a higher level than me. And as I discounted that idea chaos struck.
My phone began to blare hold music. I looked carefully at the console. No. None of the lights were flashing. I still was on mute and still connected to the conference.
As the participants realised what had happened, a dull and boring meeting had become a hunt for a culprit. Much like school roll call, one by one we re announced ourselves over the continuing hold music. I took two attempts as I had unmuted and then muted myself.
One person failed to respond. He had received another phone call mid conference. And in answering that call had placed the current call (us) on hold. He had to be contacted as soon as possible to continue the conference and save our sanity.
One of the participants suggested calling him. Which sounded contradictory until he added the words “on his mobile.” The meeting collectively held its breath (as best you can over Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries) and waited for the call to put through. No. He wasn’t answering his mobile either.
Which meant a physical intervention was required. Somebody must find this person and physically remove him from his phone. We waited a few minutes until this was organised.
“Are you near his desk? “Can you see him?” “Can you catch his attention?”
No to all questions.
“Can you go to his office and speak with him?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Once more we collectively held our breath (Ride of the Valkyries is a long piece of music) and waited. Upon his return the hold music still continued. The culprit was in his office on the phone and couldn’t be disturbed (in another teleconference).
This teleconference will be postponed until a later date and time…
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Waiting for The Sequel
On a not-so-crowded train. She is the only one standing. Back pressed against the only space that is neither seat nor door. Light brown curly but wiry hair, clear open face, same colour eyes (my best guess as far as I can see), all fully engrossed and engaged.
The bumps and lurches of the train don’t bother her. She just doesn’t lose balance. She sways slightly to the rhythm of the carriage. She is not dancing though. Perhaps inwardly.
Her head is bowed. As if in prayer or contemplation. And her forehead is smooth. Her face serene. And I watch to see if she will raise her head. It’s not just to look at her face. For I’m curious as to her quiet calm and innate peace. Now she is even more fully engrossed and engaged. With her hands held up in front of her.
Not a newspaper. Not a smart phone. Not a magazine. Not even one of those slate-sized flickering whispering mini TVs.
For a second, time stops and everything around her is removed. So much so that I stop and wonder and look again. Yes, now I know what it is. It’s like she’s behind a lectern. She’s reading. A tattered dog-eared hardback with yellow threads fraying the red cover. No title that I can see. 
I wait to see if she’ll read what holds her so aloud.
For the last person that held out a book like that let me read it.
And I wanted to read it aloud : it was that good…a children’s book too…
Perhaps I’m waiting for the sequel.
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Talent : The Gift is Borrowed.
Blue Pen on Paper
Many years ago I wrote a speech called Through the Eyes of a Child. And a story called Medicine Woman.
In both cases the sensation was exactly the same. I’m sitting there, open-mouthed, literally watching the pen write the words in front of me.
It would be great if that happened all the time. But it doesn’t. I still can’t say (arrogantly), that it occurs because I’m talented. That it came from me. No…
I talked with one of my sons about talent. His observation was that others suddenly became envious once they found out you’re talented. The feeling for him was being treated as if you’ve stolen something. My rather strident response was tell them that it’s not theft at all. We did both agree that jealousy towards talented people is unwarranted and untrue.
If talent is not theft and talent does not come from me, then what is it? The shadows were cast away by a TED talk on creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Yes…being creative is like unwrapping a gift. The talent (if any) is can you unwrap that gift? To me, it’s like the poet Ruth Stone as described in Elizabeth Gilbert’s talk. The speech or blog or story or poem is told through me not from me. To tell it well, doesn’t require talent so much as listening (and Evernote).
