what are we here for then <br />if not to listen... <br />to words spoken by the longing heart, <br />to the sound and inflections of suffering, <br />to the very heartbeat of need. <br />to the human cry against injustice, <br />to the song of freedom <br />borne by an angry wind... <br /> <br />to listen... <br />to the soft cry of the newborn baby, <br />to the moan of lovers entwined. <br />to the hum of the tractor, <br />and the thud of the axe. <br />to the hope of the hammer pounding nails. <br />to the voices of people choosing dialogue, <br />to the honest plea for forgiveness... <br /> <br />to listen... <br />to the song of the mockingbird, <br />the bark of the dog, <br />the meow of the cat... <br />to the marching chant of the ants. <br />to the sound of the butterfly's wings, <br />rhyming infinity! <br /> <br />to listen... <br />to the stillness in our own heartbeats. <br />for the name we had before birth. <br />to the prayers of clouds and trees. <br />for the sound of the Lover's footsteps. <br />to the ancient wisdom of mountains, <br />the forever birth of the rivers. <br />for the voice we've followed throughout time... <br /> <br />to listen... <br />for the bowls of hunger being filled. <br />for the silence after gunfire ends. <br />for the sound of hands joining ours. <br />for the sound of feet walking beside!<br /><br />Eric Cockrell<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/what-if-not-to-listen/
