With ears

Vibrations
A physical force
that thumps percussionary patterns between bones
A tiny drum that mirrors
The great shaking of the world

With nerves

Vibrations
Translated through lightning
storms domesticated by flesh
A waterfall of chemistry
Twisting molecules and overflowing potentials
Tripping switches to pass
a message
Between cell walls

With a brain

Vibrations
Turning trembling air into
Trembling words 
It is the register
the realization
the experiencing
Sounds become
words become
meaning

With memories

Those patterns beget patterns until
Every word is hanging in the air
Suspended by a web of
Networked history
Nuance and context

There is listening
And there is listening
You can hear
sounds
Without hearing
Intention
Emotion
Context
Sincerity

To listen
You must be
Respectful
Reflective
Searching for the gaps left in your own web
Seeking an understanding
beyond the definitions of each word used

To listen
You must seek to understand

You can hear a thousand words
And never hear what I meant to say
If you don’t listen

with a heart