Support Committee for a Quaker Friend, Elected to Public Office

—for Kathleen Kelly

Outside the meeting, the usual mutter:
                wordword wordword word wordity word.
So too inside my mind.

But before too long, the Clearness Committee
climbed the stairs and found our seats
among the palms and amaryllis.

Our friend then said, “My gift is to hear
                and make everyone feel
                as if they were
                the most important
                person in the world”
and in that moment the tropical plants
leaned in to listen, unfolding their leafy ears.

Her voice hushed, she paused for a time
and listened to the fragrant silence.
The fern waved, the ficus spread its emerald wings.

Our friend continued, “My gift is to make
it clear I hear you, I hear you
in the din of the world.”