The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network observes the National Day of Silence on April 12 this year. April is National Poetry Month. Here is a poem that celebrates the sounds of silence.
The sound of fog
drifting across the bar
sometime after midnight.
The sound of a glance
with a hint of a smile
off to my right.
The sound of bourbon
in a water glass
with a cube of ice.
The sound of hope
mixed with uncertainty
and a touch of promise.
The sound of a table
as space grows between
it and a chair.
The sound of two people standing
and a departure
into the late night air.
The sound of keys
touching the door
of a reliable car.
The sound of anticipation,
the sound of the sky, the moon,
my lucky star.
The sound of a carpeted stair
unhurriedly awaiting
steps of four anxious feet.
The sound of breathing,
deafened by the sound
of someone’s heartbeat.
The sound of a lightbulb
as it becomes dark,
the sound of a sigh.
The sound of clothes
falling to the floor,
the sound of a closing eye.
The sound of a mouth
as it opens to another.
The sound of a kiss.
The sound of arms
and legs akimbo.
The sound of bliss.
—
Photo: IStock