Clad in impartiality, surrounded by six empty chairs and a ready room
“They’ve mostly arrived,” the Coordinator tells her
Conciliation and empathy were no shows
Resentment and repudiation came early
They marched into the room, their steps archetypically discordant
She listened, as barristers bloviated and parties postured
She heard - enmity’s voice and antipathy’s quiet rage
She watched, the parties’ unsteady hands and unmanageable tears
She asked about interests, rather than positions
She probed for common ground – and found it
In the face of an absent child
The discussion turned to him
To his education, his welfare, his access to two parents
Areas of solidarity unearthed – and manifold
She listened, as rigidity crumbled and tensions thawed
She heard - the plunge of positions and good will’s eruption
And she marveled, as clenched hands released, faces brightened, and a collaborative future was forged
By Rachel A. Elovitz on March 31, 2011
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