I keep a collection of inspirational handouts around and every now and then I go through them to see what strikes me. This poem was listed as ‘Anonymous’, but if anyone knows who wrote it let me know…
Listen
When I ask you to listen to me
and you start giving advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I asked you to listen to me
and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I asked you to listen to me
and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen!
All I asked was that you listen, not talk or do, just hear me.
Advice is cheap:
25¢ will get to you both dear Abby and Billy Grahm in the same newspaper.
I can do for myself:
I’m not helpless. May be discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can in need to do for myself,
you contribute to my fear and weakness.
But when you except as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel,
no matter how irrational, then I quit trying to convince you in in can get about the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling.
When that’s clear, the answers are obvious and I don’t need advice. Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what’s behind them.
So, please listen and just hear me, and, if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn: and I’ll listen to you.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I stubbled across your site and found some really insiteful material, and was wondering if you’d like to take a look at some “recovery” related poetry I’ve been posting on my blog. Http://elitepoetz.blogspot.com/
thanks
-g-
I got a lot of useful things to help w/ my recovery. Thank you!