silence

there’s so much of it

(God’s silence
your silence
my silence
what you say
what you don’t
what i say
what i don’t
what we say
what we don’t)

or so little

*
 
after he says i love you
after the applause has ended, and you’re sitting alone in your room
after the confession of indiscretions
after your heroes are gone
after the towers came down
after words spoken in anger
after too many drinks
after the war
after she says i love you
after a job well done
after many tearful entreaties
after the recognition that you’re wrong
after regret takes hold of you and you wonder if there’s a way to go back
after the sharing of a secret
after you realize that your friendship is over
after the lights go down
after it’s not you, it’s me
after the birth of your first child
after the discovery of a betrayal
after the news that your oma passed away at 102
after the gift of a confession
after you didn’t see that coming
after the bad news
after the good news