The Holy Art of Conversation

The Holy Art of Conversation
by
John W. Frye


Wrinkles at the corner of the eyes,
a softening inflection of the voice,
a sigh, a slight turn of the head,
a friend speaks to me.
A sacred entity in wearied body
bearing the Image--
priceless, deep imprint of the Other.

Gesturing, fumbling hands,
awkward silences and jump-start
phrases
coming from inside a being,
from a silence unknown to me
except for this series of sounds.

Conversation is a miracle,
a treasure hunt
for meaning, acceptance;
an audio map
Out of the complex wilderness
for two simple, broken wanderers
who drink hot coffee.

Are those wrinkles in the corner of the eyes
or are they branches of the burning bush?
What is this space, other than holy ground?
How is it that our feeble, speaking voices
usher us into the Eternal Silence
where words can't convey this exact moment?

Holy, holy, holy is this moment almighty!
Two beings, coffee on their breaths,
with puffs of air exchange their souls
on wispy sounds, from very deep to deep!

I walk away from the moment
with a new limp
and
with a new hope,
for I have wrestled with God
in another whom I call
"friend."