The Might of Listening

I once tried to listen while planning a speech,
Wanting clever replies to those I should reach.
But the words that I heard grew fuzzy and thin.
They slipped away instead of tumbling right in.

My mouth stayed shut tight, but my mind ran ahead,
Preparing the things that I soon might have said.
While thoughts lined up for their turn to be heard,
I missed half the meaning of the incoming word.

For listening, my dear friends, is a curious art.
It asks for your ears, your mind, and your heart.
If one of them wanders to plan what you’ll say,
The rest of the message may wander away.

So hush for a moment. Quiet your plan.
Did your listening finish before you began?
Answers grow wiser and words come out right
When listening first has been given its might.