John Fox: When Someone Deeply Listens

​John Fox,  from When Jewels Sing
 
When someone deeply listens to you
it is like holding out a dented cup
you’ve had since childhood
and watching it fill up with
cold, fresh water.
When it balances on the top of the brim,
you are understood.
When it overflows and touches your skin,
you are loved.
 
When someone deeply listens to you,
the room  where you stay
starts a new life
and the place where you wrote
your first poem
begins to glow in your mind’s eye.
It’s as if gold has been discovered.
 
When someone deeply listens to you
your barefeet are on the earth
and a beloved land that seemed distant
is now at home within you