Afterwards, I would release myself
from the rhythm of listening,
the quick catching on the cadence
of thought, of feeling,
riding down the tale
through its pauses and its dramas
circling in to its conclusion

The energy it takes
is not trivial — the close attention
as in dance, the role of follow

Afterwards, I would notice
how still and even my breath could be,
sinking into the quiet,
submerging into a noticing
that has no words.

©Wendy Mulhern
June 30, 2018