-- The Rules of Silence -–

John Herlihy

Who will ever dare to break the golden rule of silence,

To be respected, adhered to, as a form of compliance?

Silence has its own integrity, with no wish to be broken;

It conveys its own message, no words need be spoken.

In the sacred depths of outer space, nothing is heard;

The vastness of silence becomes its own revelatory word.

There in the outer limits, the rhythm of silence is born,

Not a breath, a hush, or a whisper, from mystery torn.

I did hear a naughty bird who cracked the mirror of dawn,

Shattering it into pieces, even scaring the timid fawn.

But who is there around in nature to make any protestation,

Certainly not the fog or the dew that move without hesitation.

In frigid arctic tundra, at first the silence reigned supreme;

A chill of winter white left no doubt what winter may mean.

Yet the North Wind broke the silence with a cry, a wolf’s howl,

As if the wind itself were seeking solace, ever on the prowl.

Break the rule of silence and you end up with everlasting sound,

Never to hear true silence again with such harsh noise all around.

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(c) John Herlihy 16 January 2019