Silence
Silence is not
June 3, 2001
a scarcity of words
but the perfect fullness
of a heart.
Silence is not
an empty beach,
but a woman
standing on the shore
of her simplicity
watching the tide
cast its generosity
across her naked feet.
Silence is not
song's absence
but compassion's
flawless cadence
calibrating joy.
Silence is not
an empty sky
but snow falling
on six hemlock trees
at twilight
and two cardinals
wheeling home.
Copyright © Amy Belding Brown