the listener by Laura Theis
the listener
Laura Theis
her magic was so gentle
you may not have known it
for a spell
the way she was able to listen so openly
that we were each coaxed into speaking
our language
the fiddle began to talk
of the willow tree it had been
how it had feasted on light and liquid
how it had swayed and creaked
in the wind like a door
to another realm
the piano confessed how its beauty was forged
from the killing of a playful giant who had loved
his life of mischief and joy
while the rain outside sang along in the dangerous language of water
a complicated grammar of clouds and droplets
stillness and rush
even the silence afterwards surprised itself
for the first time
in the mirror of her quiet attention
and bowed like a secret word
that had suddenly understood
its own significance
More from Laura ↓
- @wodehouse_and_i on Instagram
- Her book, Introduction to Cloud Care, is available now
- Her children’s poetry book, Poems from a Witch’s Pocket, is available now
Mentioned in this episode:
Write After: National Poetry Month with One Poem Only
Write After is a way to encourage poets to listen and write, and use National Poetry Month to highlight how listening to poetry makes us better poets. I know I write the best when I’m surrounded by beautiful poetry–it’s part of the reason I created this podcast, and I want to encourage others to share this practice. We'll get started in April. You can share to #WriteAfterOPO.
