Silence

Silence

is not a weapon

that I level against you —

to assail you, whether

with passivity or aggression,

is beyond me.

Not a weapon,

but a window.

Thin though it must always be,

I struggle to hold it open,

to frantically seek

every second that I might salvage

from the burning wreckage of a question

aimed at me,

soaked in desperation,

and in love, like gasoline.

What did you mean?

How did you come upon

all of that fear?

You think I didn't hear,

or that I've chosen to ignore

you at your very most vulnerable.

But before I can speak, you see,

I must choose my words with care.

There, in the gravity of the moment,

I become lost.

I stare, as one who sees across galaxies

but cannot find my answer.

Though I never meant to,

I've left you to hang in the

silence.