-- A Silence That Returns --

John Herlihy

I have never known silence but a silence that returns,

On padded cat paws with a heart that quietly burns.

As we seek to listen, silence always seems to be filled;

Its presence serves as awakening that cannot be stilled.

We live our passing days as if with the sounds of a riot,

With precious few minutes or hours to enjoy the quiet.

We think the house is quiet, night is quiet, the garden,

The creak of the stair, the hoot of the owl, given pardon.

The riotous colors in the garden give the sense of sound;

Enchanting birdsong lends the garden a silence profound.

The red fox as vivid and awesome as the silence of snow

The silence of grass reaching beyond the earth to grow

When it comes to absolute silence, something is amiss,

Utter silence, holy silence, pure silence gone with its kiss.

In the thick of life’s disharmony, I long for silence to return.

Silence of night, of wind, of dawn, with echoes that yearn.

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(c) John Herlihy 24 July 2019