To listen is to love in silence,
a gift given without reply—
a space where words can rest,
where breaths slow and sighs linger.
Empathy extends an open hand,
asking nothing, accepting all.
It hears not only the voice
but the quiet truth beneath it.
In this stillness, we begin to heal,
listening beyond sound itself;
our hearts unfold,
meeting fears we forgot were there.
To listen fully is to journey inward,
moving toward what is real.
It is presence, a whisper of grace,
a practice of letting the spirit breathe.
This is my journey,
— Nate Long “Owl”