-- In Ringing Tones of Voice --

John Herlihy

We give ourselves away thru the tones of our voice,

Whether trembling, vexatious, in the riot of rejoice.

What of the voice of longing or the voice of regret?

Even the voice of silence doesn’t mean we forget.

Consider, for example, those murmurings of despair,

The whispers of eternity that come to evening prayer.

The voice of extremity in anger, sounding oh so shrill,

The voice of fear and trembling to go against our will.

A voice of approbation, mingled with a voice of calm,

A voice of understanding and mercy as soothing balm.

We adopt childlike tones when speaking with a child,

Inducing the smiles and laughter of a heart gone wild.

Forget not the voice of love with its tone silky smooth,

Forging attendant emotions in a deeply-furrowed grove.

We betray the self, shown in the fear of our trembling;

We take ourselves back in our confidence assembling.

Where is the happiness and joy you feigned to propose?

Where are the arguments that you set forth to oppose?

My father’s voice can sound harsh, my friend’s grateful;

Adolescents often sound brash, while enemies be spiteful.

The thrill of excitement, the torment of disappointment,

The silkiness of flattery and the cloudiness of resentment.

How often do we gladly utter threats in a tone of menace?

Then enter the confessional murmuring pieties in penance.

Whether in fear or fury, they both of them rise to a pitch;

In our nightmares we hear screams of the wicked witch.

Even the tone of gravitas can take the air of burlesque,

While hesitations of our insecurity echo airs of request.

The voice of abandonment, the sad voice of all we miss;

Shudder in the voice of sadness, thrill in the voice of bliss.

To speak of the human voice is to speak of rivers that flow,

Shaping, guiding, betraying everything we feel and know.

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(c) John Herlihy 28 September 2019