13 March 2026, 7.28AM
In an argument Dad used to say,
“One ear in, one ear out!”
I used to shake my head
Maybe I already sensed that the words misled
Maybe also because I saw with my own eyes
that Dad didn’t really listen to his advice
He’d turn to me with a wry smile
only after he’d turn down his own dial
But dad was aware of the speciousness of his words
For when we were alone and could not be heard
He’d admit he knew when he was wrong
(and that sometimes he’d known it all along)
Dad said Gong Gong had taught him this
But I think that the real point is
that I don’t think they were saying not to listen
But to know when to be quiet in a conversation
And not to escalate during a conflict
When two people are hurting
it matters not the verdict
This is what we learn from Ye Ye’s lesson.
Poems for My Sons 