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 
It’s amazing to me how many shades and moods silence can hold. You capture so many of its dualities and complexities here.
My favorite silence? It’s a weird one. It’s the silence that envelops you when you’re sitting in the car, just after you shut off the ignition…
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Thanks, Lainie. I am always intereested in wordplay. I looked into the double entendre when writing this post, but it didn’t quite fit for me. That’a an interesting silence you like! But, I get it – especially if you have young kids!
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As Lainie said, I appreciate the way you’ve captured the complex nature of silence. Silence is a strange thing: I feel comfortable with it when I’m alone, but it makes me just a bit crazy when I’m with other people. I’m working on that. Thank you for sharing this!
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You are welcome. I am glad you could relate on some level to this. I like slience and am very comfortable with it – but I do struggle to be heard in some company as well.
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Silence can mean so many things! “Silence can be longed for or shunned,” depending on the situation. Such an interesting idea for a poem.
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Thanks Janice!
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