Wind, Palms, and Whispered Words

I sat on the porch this morning,
Sipping coffee, puppy laying at my feet,
And as a sudden wind rustled the palm branches,
I heard, as clearly as ever I have heard,
Their soft, gentle whisper…

“Hello Friend.”

Astonished, stilled in disbelief,
The mind pondering this dubious miracle,
Of wind, palms, and whispered greeting,
I spoke aloud, tenuously, embarrassed,
Feeling somewhat foolish…

“Hello?”

“No… not you,” they whispered back,
"We greet the Blind, Deaf, Mute within,
Who Saw, Heard, and Spoke to us,
Before words and images arose,
Of “wind”, “palms”, and whispered greeting…

“Hello Friend.”

And so I abandoned “myself”,
The seer, the listener, the speaker,
And resting before the sound of inner voice,
Before the appearance of inner sight,
Before I and the world were born, I Heard…

“Hello Friend.” and answered in Silence.