-- The Luxury of Silence --

John Herlihy

I have always been drawn to the luxury of silence,

Laying somewhere in wait as an act of compliance.

To escape the cacophony of the world and its noise,

To gather renewed strength and regain one’s poise.

Silence remains a commodity most difficult to find,

Even lost in the confusion in the depths of the mind.

Silence, where are thou, to partake of your wonder,

Silence, my brother, who speaks to me as thunder.

Silence of friends comes across as uncomfortable,

While a silence of strangers can be insurmountable.

Short silence can have a purpose to make its point,

While a long silence tolls a bell the mind to anoint.

Sounds of falling rain lulls us into a moody silence,

While the silence of an enemy can feel like violence.

The silence of prayer stirs our ready heart to yearn,

The silence of death from which no one can return.

Silence helps us recall what the world has us forget,

Its restful calm can serve as our most powerful asset.

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(c) John Herlihy 8 August 2020