It takes a gentle hand
to tease out the tangled strands
of how we think about each other,
which of each other’s words we’ve heard,
which we’ve discounted,
what we would see each other meant,
if we would listen

It takes a gentle heart
to smooth the ruffled sentiments,
to ascertain we’re smoothing
in the right direction,
to hear from way down deep
and to respond
in ways that put each other’s hearts at ease

For we are tender,
and we are intricate,
and can’t be superficially assessed,
yet we are strong of fiber
and can take some rearranging
when it’s done with gentle hearts and hands.

©Wendy Mulhern
June 9, 2023