Only Talking

by Charles Stein

we were sitting in a circle
and passing the smudge stick around
so each might expound
in an orderly manner

and as each talked
our “listening”
listened itself
into being
and vanished
when the talking
that comprised one —
albeit the talking
of the “other” — but you get it:
there is no other
talking
under this umbrella.

Only talking.