by Yvette Durham

Created on: May 20, 2010

Once there were two princesses, who lived in a far away land

Rose, the elder, loved to talk about whatever came to hand

But Rose’s favorite subject was herself; her challenges, passions,

her experiences and, you bet, the latest court fashions

Her subjects listened politely because their job was to please

Rose rarely asked for their opinion, despite their expertise

She’d ignore them shifting in their seats, their glazed eyes and heavy heads

On and on Rose twittered till her subjects were quite ready for their beds

But our young princess was gifted at listening, her name was May

(No doubt this skill was due to listening to what Rose had to say)

May listened to her subjects, with full attention, she’d nod and smile

Never interrupting, she believed hearing them was most worthwhile

“We have two ears and one mouth for a reason,” May would state

“I use them proportionately.  Anyway, listening is great!”

Indeed her subjects loved her presence and would chat to her bright eyed

Rose listened to them tirelessly, she never fidgeted or sighed

So now, which princess do you suppose had the happier life time?

May, of course!  Years of listening had made her wise and quite sublime

She’d learnt listening was to honor someone, a form of showing love

For when you give love, it comes back to you; a law we should all think of

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