called (1 Samuel 3)

in the store, parking lot, 
or the walks in the neighborhood, 
i heard you calling clear as a bell, but 
when i turned around, you 
were nowhere to be seen; 
 
i remember the embarrassment 
(too many times) 
of being so busy, that 
it took a stranger tapping me 
on the shoulder and saying, 
'i think you're being paged,' 
to realize that you have been trying 
(doggedly) 
to get me to notice; 
 
in the tears of a child 
over her sick pet, 
you call; 
in the memories 
of a hospice patient, 
you call; 
in the whisper 
of hope into loneliness' 
empty nights, 
you call; 
in the sudden 
burst of forgiveness 
from the depths of hurt, 
you call. 
 
help me 
to pay attention. 
 
(c) 2018 Thom M. Shuman