The Silence.
Hello! The house is empty, shockingly quiet
Dust settles, time ticks by, but there’s no sound
Of your voice, your footstep, or your laughter
There’s no sound at all, – listen to the quiet.
There is peace,… and there is quiet
You enjoy peace together
You endure quiet alone
This quiet is lonely – lonely as the grave.
Peace, be at peace! Accept that there will be no more
Laughter – at least not your laughter
Or scolding, or just plain old bustle
No more shopping dropped on the kitchen floor.
No more shouts to and from the kitchen
No more shouts up the stairs
Just quiet, and eccentric babbling
to someone who is no longer there.
There is a noise that breaks the silence
Listen to the grown man weep
In solitude. In emptiness the tears flow
Hoping impossibly; that the silence is just a dream.
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