As last month was National Listening Month, I reached out to request some listening poems from poetic listeners. Please visit the links below to read these outstanding contributions:

In "Monroe & 18th Street," a man who is thoroughly disheartened by the awful feeling that no one listens to him finds a way to make a statement that would be hard to ignore. The poet turns the funny old expression--So, what am I, chopped liver?--into a unique, memorable image in this sad reminder of the importance of listening. At the end you'll see my response to the poet, who is also my father.

While rooted deeply in religion, a theme not typically addressed at Listeners Unite (or even one that usually catches my attention personally), I found this poem particularly moving. Jerry brings us into the moment of a story with both powerful imagery and a gentle spirit, alluding to the heart of a message that is largely unheard.


This poem, the first to be posted here in the spirit of National Listening Month, beautifully honors listening and the creative process. I had the good fortune to see Dick read his work at the recent International Listening Association conference and am pleased to share it with you here. 

For more listening poetry, visit the Art of Listening page.  Stay tuned for more listening poetry by Michael Purdy, yours truly, and others as they would like to share...