She listens with her eyes,
Hears my silent, ragged sighs,
Perceives pain with her soul
Feels my strain as her own
She senses my stress before I speak
Sees what my smile conceals,
Notices the pain that faintly shadows my face,
The split second when my eyes blaze,
Before they’re soft and placid again
Before I slip or spill or overflow
She’s there, she knows
It’s the love in her eyes,
The support in her smile,
The care in her tone
Assuring me I’m not alone
And somehow, even though
It sticks in my throat
To reveal what I know
Might leave me vulnerable,
Weak, exposed,
Deeper and surer
Than any fear
Is the trust she secured
Each time she subtly diffused
My lonely pain and doubt
By reaching out…
A kind word, a gesture, a look
By which I felt seen, heard,
Understood
And so,
How can I be broken,
By suffering, undone,
Despair, overcome,
When shafts of light
Filter through even my darkest nights?
For dear friends,
Of one thing be sure,
Divine intervention does not always come
In blinding flashes and miracles,
Sometimes,
The beauty and solace,
Of divine love and presence,
Is uniquely felt
Through the empathy and understanding,
Of a godly and caring,
Human being
Fatema Valji | @fatemavaljipoetry
