some silence is a choice
some is a gift
some narrows the gap
some widens the rift

there are times when silence is mandatory
when we shouldn’t fight it
times for healing
though we try to hide it
at the worst of times
and just to spite it

we may understand what we see before us
but do we know why
do we just give up now
did we even try?

radio silence
or talk to push
if we extinguish the fire
will it spare the bush?

and then there are some things
that not even silence can silence
they just are
they just will
like the paint that chips
off an old windowsill

who knows what emerges
as the layers fall away
the best you can do
from day to day
is laugh at the ruin
love the decay
—

“cause i remember…”

by JTW
©2011 JTW “jtwhitaker.com” All rights reserved.