Suddenly It’s Quiet
Quiet descends like a time bomb, ticking slowly
I don’t just wait for the explosion, I dread it.
Too much time, uncounted time. does its damage inside.
My day has a routine. Time should know that and have
The decency to be modest and undemanding, know when to wait.
I do need it for tasks, sorting events, sifting through thoughts.
Then it’s the gas in my tank, propulsion, the daily fix.
But today is space between what’s done and what’s next to come.
The sun breaks over the hills, spreading light across a lake.
I should welcome such a balm, a gift: time caged for now.
But my question called across the water, What? What?,
Hears in reply only an insistent echo: Do! Do!
Somewhere between the fear of sloth and the call of duty
There must a place where quiet is benign and is more than
The absence of time, a place where serenity breathes its gentle breath.
Someday I may learn how to inhale that peace, no longer
Panting every hour after the demands of detonating time.
But not yet today. What? What? Do. Do. Now! Now!
Charles B. Neff
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