to walk into a room and know it fully
yet himself to remain unnoticed
walking through gathering information
of the deeper intimate things
with no or little questioning into the questioner
his desires to speak but not knowing the words
he stands quiet about his heart’s condition
holding all his emotions along with
the stories told to him in his lifetime that demanded
his attention and compassion
only to understand the receiving end
of love that doesn’t ask for anything back
that is content in giving freely without complaint
to find a way to remove the emptiness that fills me
this apparent lack of connection with anything or anyone
longing to be reached out to before reaching out first
knowing how it is to be a child in a parent’s arms again
11/5/1999