Silence

I asked her name, she said “Silence”.
Feeling bad for asking, I shut my mouth quickly.
After a few moments in silence, she smiled,
I was confused, should I speak? I followed what she said, strictly.

She stood right there, smiling and wondering.
I looked down with shame, for I thought she’s mad at me.
She took my hand and said “I’m Silence.
What’s your name? “; I couldn’t speak, I could only see.

For Silence, she was a beautiful girl,
More beautiful than any song ever sung.
I didn’t reply to her question, so she asked me further,
“Can you hear me?”, and I said “No.”

She started crying, and sat on the bench;
I wanted to share her grief.
She asked for a hug, I hugged her tight.
She began telling her story of the day when she was standing on the reef.

She was weeping and I could hardly hear
Her man was an adventurous one, she said,
Fond of hunting and diving deep.
But then he went for a venture unknown, the one mistake, in May, he made.

He was in the sea with 17 seamen:
Not experienced ones, just seeking fun.
It was a stormy night, and they couldn’t decide right.
In the middle of the night, in the middle of the sea, there was nowhere to run.

Drowned deep, never to be found again;
Liberating the fun-loving souls forever.
She can still listen to his whisper, said Silence.
But no one was going to listen to what she said, Ever.

I walked her home after returning from the reef and waved goodbye.
She asked me to walk with her every day.
For those whispers haunt her and from today,
She found a friend; “My only hope”, she said, “after a frightful May”.

She used to narrate stories of his adventures:
Full of zeal and joy and life.
Never missed a day to pray for his soul,
For she believed he’ll always be there in her strife

Love lasts forever, death is just a phase.
Silence taught me lessons which no one can.
Nobody knew the grief Silence shared with me
I was just a boy then, she groomed me into a perfect man.

-Prathamesh Patel
12:16 am
11/05/15

Shhhh.