You speak

And I pause

And acknowledge

That you posses something

That I want

Some trait of articulation

Some skill

Some quality

I am initially resistant

I am envious

I feel it rise up inside

I justify my position

And knock you down

In my mind

But I am then reminded

Although I have learned much

In this life

I still do have much to learn

And from this vantage point

I can grow

And acquire a new skill

I can listen

Learn

And evolve

I can respect who you are

And what you can do

While still respecting myself

I can grow

Because of you

If I allow it to happen

And as always

If I ask the right questions

Seeking to understand

I will find

Yet another way

Of looking at life