They noticed me
And rushed over
Only to screech out
Far too loudly
Shhhusshhh now
Step down and go away
You must keep your silence to yourself.
*
Your silence is breaking us
It is its own form of protest
So you must tuck it in
To that crevice in your brain
Where little else matters.
*
But…but…I like my silence
It gives me refuge
And peace
Comfort and light flow through my silence
Can’t you see my spirit when I am silent?
Breathing, moving yet unmoving
I smile when I am silent.
*
Keep it, your silence
There is no space for it here, now
There is no time or taste for such things
There is only time to speak up
To shout loudly
To roll in anger, confusion, righteousness, and despair.
*
Yet, when I am silent it creates even more space
For something new to emerge
Great healing, great love
And others’ songs can come through
When I am silent
A new time emerges, as the old slips by.
*
No, they answered
The silence is too scary, too unknown
We can’t tell what you are really thinking
When there’s too much space, and openness
Anything might leak through
And come crashing out like a
Sonic boom to the heart.
*
Oh, I say
And I shut my eyes
Returning again and again
To this moment
This breath
This crushing power of silence.