Many voices of silence fill our days –

the hushed waiting

for the baby or the bride,

the sharp intake of breath

at the slam of a door,

the easy quiet

between old friends,

the awed silence

before nature’s swell,

the pained pause 

following words wrongly spoken,

the wordless prayer

for the well-being of others,

the inaudible sigh

at work well done,

the too-long lull

after a last breath,

the spacious expanse

of a stilled pond, a calm mind.

                                                                                                 JDG