I’ve often wondered why I hear poetry in people’s words. Recently I gave up considering why to concentrate upon the happening of listening, to consider what happens as I listen and poetry enters the listening space. My initial rumination is that when I listen to others speak I open myself to resonance of multifaceted vibration.

All aspects of sound – physical force of words projected through air, intonation of voice, words within language and how they’re arranged into statements of ideas and stories, the person who speaks, whether moving or still, plus more – vibrate. The vibrations enter me and resound, creating something new. Perhaps that’s the explanation? Perhaps it’s part of one explanation?

Setting aside a possible explanation, my experience is that the newness created out of being with another person within the happening of listening is orchestral in quality. I am both participant and audience experiencing something non-repeatable.

Treasure seems an appropriate term for such listening experience – treasure reflects the valuable active happening, and treasure reflects precious bits of poetry that emerge in words I hear. As I listen the treasures are mine.

But, in reality, the treasures are not mine to store away, neither the treasure of listening nor the treasure of poetry. Like the vibrations of musical notes and chords that disperse even as they’re being appreciated, the vibrations of my listening seek to be treasured by other human ears and hearts.

Listen …