Silence

Silence, silence.
One longs for it
Amid the noise of the world,
Amid the thoughts within.

Everywhere voices rise,
Each voice echoes itself.
Politicians, preachers,
All promising peace,
And still the world is not.

Silence.

How rare it is
Amid all these sounds,
In the room, in the street,
In the long hours of night,
The ticking clock on the wall,
Striking the silence.

As outer voices fade,
The world loosens
Its hold upon the mind.

But silence also unsettles.

No voice to follow,
Nowhere to disappear.
Only oneself remains.

As the noise recedes,
Thoughts grow louder.
Old memories return,
Words left unspoken.

What was lost in the noise
Returns in silence.

Old questions rise,
Waiting to be heard.

And when thoughts grow quiet,
When the inner voice fades,
There may be silence.
Beyond words.