Silence
Krystalnacht smashes glassy ears
but louder is the silence
boxcars of Jews roll along click-click
down train tracks through the Black Forest
but louder is the silence
Trump waves the Bible upside-down
police shoot rubber bullets and tear gas
Black Hawk helicopters circle like vultures
but louder is the silence
Silence can be sorted from other sounds:
it has no echo
it crushes but doesn’t deafen
it has the gravitational pull of a black star
and stretches through centuries past and future
like an ogre’s arms after a long, long nap
6 thoughts on "Silence"
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I love your descriptions of silence in the last stanza. Thanks!
this is wonderful. First verse, and last line are my favorite, but it all comes together in a hauntingly marvelous poem. Thanks.
“Silence can be sorted from other sounds:
it has no echo
it crushes but doesn’t deafen
it has the gravitational pull of a black star
and stretches through centuries past and future
like an ogre’s arms after a long, long nap”
This is exquisite. Thank you for sharing.
I like how the image/refrain sets the reader up for the last stanza,
Wow! Powerful connections and images to highlight your message. Thank you!
Love the repetition of:
but louder is the silence