Chronicles of a Nigerian American

LISTEN

Listen

Are you listening?

To the dripping of the tap,
to the flick of the switch that lights up the room?

To the background noise of the TV
you put on to fill the quite void?
To the static, the tugging, and the pulling of the comb against your kinky hair?
To the slosh of clean water in your glass that replenishes your being?
To the ringing and beeping of your phone that you purposely ignore?

I yield to you to listen much more closely
Lay your ear on the earth
Let your bosom touch the dirt
Breathe in deeply of the oxygen
you are surrounded by

When you listen you will hear

You will hear the soft cries of children
who don't have a tap to drip water from,
Or a light switch to flick on

If you turn off your TV
The quietness will swallow you
and force you to listen

Look into the world
and you shall see cups without water,
Phones that won't beep,
and hair that isn't combed

You will see children that listen.

-------------------------------------------

A/N 

I always seem to think of ideas for poems at the weirdest times. This one I came up with while vacuuming my room. 

Whenever find yourself complaining about a situation, start listing things that are going okay and things you're fortunate to even have. Doing this makes you put things into perspective and you realize how fortunate you are to have just basic necessities as there are countries where even children do not have food to eat. Comment what you're fortunate to have and what this poem made you think of or feel. :)