Talk to me!

by Phyllis Kuhl, May 1992

You say you don't know what to say;
that you feel so helpless;
that there's nothing you can do.
You say you don't want to pry,
that I probably don't want to talk about it;
that I'm probably tired of telling the story...

Talk to me!
Share your feelings!
Ask your questions!
Don't hang back,
don't hide,
don't decide what I can or can't take.
Trust me to be able to respond.
Trust me to tell you if I
don't want to talk about it.
Grand me my dignity,
let me be an Adult.

This is what you can do for me,
though it might be the hardest task of all.
This is what I need
more than anything else:
I need you, my old and dear friend,
to be my companion on this ragged journey,
to stand by my side
and look it all squarely in the eye,
to give me the gifts of your insights
and your feelings.
To do that is to do everything for me;
and far more important than any
everyday practical thing you can think of.

Talk to me - please.