Silence surrounds, envelopes, scolds and warns you.
It can calm, comfort, and cajole, too.
Silence can make you a liar or a friend.
It can say I love you or, just as likely, not.
It says I am listening and at the same time says,
I don’t hear you, I don’t care.
Silence says I understand, but can also say,
I don’t know what you mean.
It can be a comfort, a respite or
the loneliest you have ever been.
On the trail, silence says you are alone with your
footsteps. Or, no, we are here when it breaks
and the birds sing to you along your way.
Silence can be longed for or shunned,
Both a character asset and a flaw for some.
It can be full of questions left unasked or full of
nothingness, something to avoid.
Knowing when to use it is a skill acquired by practice using
words that should have been left unsaid.
I like silence with a connotation of grace.
Thinking before speaking seems to have lost pace.
Our world today moves at warp speed.
A little silence might help leaders lead.
Silence can be just the thing you need or
the last thing you want.
The sound of silence, it can mean a lot.
© Carol Labuzzetta, Draft, 2021
Today is Poetry Friday. This week’s round up is hosted by: Tabitha at The Opposite of Indifference blog. Thank you for hosting!
The Apples in My Orchard 
Leave a comment