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Afterthought

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Originally published: 18th June 2023

Image by Susann Mielke from Pixabay

when all the world has had its fill

of bluster, lies and war

I trust the silence I can't hear

will be louder than before.

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Christina Bowring

Date: 10/12/2023 2:52:00 AM

This is a wonderful quatrain Gary that says so much within it’s short lines. Very thought provoking and incredibly well written. I love your style of poetry. I read the comments and I thought the same that earlier work on here may never get read especially by new members so I thought sometimes I would start delving into earlier posted poems. I take so long to compose a poem that I will probably never even get off the first listed page (laughing!) throughout my lifetime so won’t experience that.

Gary Radice
Date: 10/12/2023 6:03:00 AM

Many thanks Christina. I set myself a goal to write poems that I wouldn't mind reading myself. Any of my poems that fail that test either get pulled from the site or don't make it up in the first place. :) I can't see myself having more than 1 page up of my poems here but..I'll see..Just me. :) I wouldn't worry about taking a long time to write a poem - everyone's different and poetry is certainly not an exact science. :) Thanks again. Cheers - Gary

Christina Bowring
Date: 10/12/2023 2:52:00 AM

Blessings to you my talented poetic friend. :):)

Evelyn Judy Buehler

Date: 9/5/2023 11:57:00 AM

Your poignant poem speaks volumes, Gary. It is in my faves.

Gary Radice
Date: 9/5/2023 12:08:00 PM

"..speaks volumes.." I love what you did there Evelyn. :) Cheers - Gary

Paula Goldsmith

Date: 8/29/2023 9:27:00 AM

"Just A Thought" is a powerful write with just a few words. Have a great day writing away............

Gary Radice
Date: 8/30/2023 12:00:00 AM

Thanks Paula. I appreciate your stopping by to read and comment. Cheers - Gary

Gail Debole

Date: 8/10/2023 4:20:00 AM

Hi Gary, The people who are blustering, lying, and starting wars are the ones who need to read your prophetic and poetic thoughts. Glad I had a chance to read your meaningful well-crafted poem. - Gail

Gary Radice
Date: 8/10/2023 7:37:00 AM

Thanks Gail. Aah, If only they'd listen. :) Cheers - Gary

Brian Sambourne

Date: 7/1/2023 6:28:00 AM

Such profound four lines, Gary. I suspect the war fields evoke an eerie silence after guns go quiet. Probably a silence of despair, as the land hangs its head in ruin. The realization of loss, environmental to human is a colossus. A great write. Be well. Brian

Gary Radice
Date: 7/3/2023 3:29:00 AM

Hi Brian. Everything you've said. The following is a phrase I've often used to describe the world and its leaders but make no apologies for using it again: "the orchestra is actually fine - it's the conductors who are out of sync." Cheers - Gary

Paul Callus

Date: 6/30/2023 1:59:00 AM

Just a thought, Gary, but for many of us it carries a lot of weight. Looking forward to that fateful day when change arrives in all its glory! The sound of silence will echo far and wide...(i am allowed to hope and dream, right!) Excellent poem; short yet effective. ~ Regards // paul

Gary Radice
Date: 7/1/2023 2:42:00 AM

Thanks Paul. I, too, wait for that fateful day when change arrives. I just hope it's good change. :) Many Thanks for your visit and comments as always. Cheers - Gary

Timothy Ray

Date: 6/29/2023 1:40:00 PM

ah Gary such light wisdom with roots so deep...reading this made me to recall Robert Service's poem The Mourners...the silence where the toll is measured and just how far-reaching that measure is...the silence you can't hear is the silence you can see...such a wonderful walk-in the simplicity of it all...loved it

Gary Radice
Date: 7/1/2023 2:45:00 AM

Thanks Timothy. I hope you realize that you've now made me want to go and find Robert Service's poem. :) Actually, thank you. I love it when Soupers direct me to poets and works I've not read before. Much appreciated. Take care . Cheers - Gary

John Watt

Date: 6/28/2023 9:32:00 PM

Gary, there is no lower silence than the silence on the battlefield after all the hate is spent. Evocative of the anti-war lyrics of John Lennon who dared to imagine a world without war. Lovely in form and flow, as always, but I am particularly taken with the paradox of "I trust the silence I can't hear / will be louder than before." Marvelous. This world is a better place with Gary Radice in it ~ John

Gary Radice
Date: 7/7/2023 11:53:00 AM

John, I admit that I had to read it twice: 'No lower silence' -but I came away and thought ..'yes..Love that - it adds depth.' Such is the beauty of poetry and poetry critique. words can be wonderful. :) Cheers - Gary

John Watt
Date: 7/5/2023 10:54:00 AM

Gary, I will freely admit that I intended to write 'no louder silence' in my response but was autocorrected by my laptop (which clearly knows better than I). I wasn't careful to do my usual proofreading, and (curiously) the autocorrect may have improved upon the original! Thank you for making the commentary/response section such an enjoyably interactive one.

Gary Radice
Date: 6/29/2023 1:39:00 AM

John, I love your quote "there is no lower silence..." That is just so profound and brilliant. The paradox of the two lines you mention were nearly written as a question.."Will the silence I can't hear be louder than before?"..or something like that. I'm glad I had a change of mind as I think it reads better..and I already know what the answer is. :) As for the world being a better place with me in it, I think the world is a much better place simply for having poetry. Thank you so much, John. Cheers - Gary

Bill Baker

Date: 6/26/2023 4:36:00 PM

Very succinct wording in your poem today, Gary. I agree with each thought and appreciate your sharing them with us in your poetry, my friend. A poet friend in Texas, Bill

Gary Radice
Date: 6/27/2023 4:07:00 AM

Hi Bill. You're very kind, thank you. I need to catch up with my reading of Soupers' work and plan to do so over the next few days. Cheers - Gary

Christopher Flaherty

Date: 6/26/2023 2:52:00 PM

Both loud and proud Excellent as always Sir I would and have come to expect nothing less So few words yet precise thoughtful and meaningful

Gary Radice
Date: 6/27/2023 4:03:00 AM

Thanks Christopher. I'm happy how this one turned out. Cheers - Gary

Deb M

Date: 6/26/2023 5:15:00 AM

Hey Gary…. Beautifully and powerfully stated in four lines….Love it!! Debx

Gary Radice
Date: 6/26/2023 12:47:00 PM

Thanks Debs. They are a few lines that have been floating around my mind for quite a long time - I just never got round to writing them down in poetic form...until now! :) Cheers - Gary

David Fisher

Date: 6/25/2023 2:04:00 PM

This is wonderful and congrats!

Gary Radice
Date: 6/26/2023 12:47:00 PM

Thanks David. I appreciate your visit, read and lovely comments. Read you soon. Cheers - Gary

Michelle Faulkner

Date: 6/22/2023 8:13:00 PM

Let's hope the silence of peace returns, this is so potent in such few words, perhaps a touch of 'sound of silence' in there?

Gary Radice
Date: 6/22/2023 11:51:00 PM

Peace returning? Here's hoping Michelle but I'm not holding my breath. Although I've always thought S&G's "Sound Of Silence" to be as profound as it is brilliant I didn't deliberately set out to refer to their wonderful poetic song in this case..subliminally perhaps. The lack of silence is just so on point in today's society. Thank you for your valued comments. Cheers - Gary

Robert Lindley

Date: 6/22/2023 9:25:00 AM

If that ever happens the silence will be deafening. You said so much in such few words. Yes, a fav... God bless..

Gary Radice
Date: 6/22/2023 12:10:00 PM

Hi Robert. Thanks so much for your visit comments and fav. Read you soon. Cheers - Gary

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 6/22/2023 2:41:00 AM

- You're probably right about that, Gary - Well written -

Gary Radice
Date: 6/22/2023 12:09:00 PM

Thank you Anne-Lise. If only we lived in a vacuum. :) Cheers - Gary

Speaks Volumes

Date: 6/21/2023 7:55:00 PM

I pray for that day to come Gary. Adore your poem. Yes it will definitely be louder. Silence speaks volumes. Hopefully this is entered in Line's contest. It looks, feels ans sounds like a winner to me. Best wishes.

Speaks Volumes
Date: 6/22/2023 4:54:00 PM

Because of requirement of some contests, I have poems on here I dont even like and would never put them in a book !! You are very talented that you only have poems you like. Cheers

Gary Radice
Date: 6/21/2023 9:00:00 PM

Hi SV..thanks for that. I was very pleased that the poem was placed 2nd in Line's 66th Bitesize Contest recently. It was going to be called 'A Final Thought' as I'd promised myself if ever I got to 100 poems I would stop there but I'll think on and see where things take me. Tbh I believe that once you write further than the first page at PS the poems start to get lost under the sheer volume of work. Had I ever published a book I reckon the 100 poems on show here would more or less be it - albeit in a different order. Cheers - Gary

Sara Kendrick

Date: 6/20/2023 3:47:00 AM

Very expressive one filled with political ideology. So sad the state of affairs our world is in right now, but I know that an end is in sight. Thank you for sharing this one and for dropping by my page. I was blessed from your kind review of my work. Sara

Gary Radice
Date: 6/20/2023 7:53:00 AM

Thanks Sara. Just me being a tad sarcastic and fed up with a country like UK that keeps rewarding major failure together with my realization that there will always, sadly, be wars as long as there is greed, a culture of "me first" and a lust for power. I can dream on about the silence. Cheers - Gary

David Kavanagh

Date: 6/18/2023 1:35:00 PM

Nice Gary, this one would make a fitting epitaph, on any soldier’s monument, the title is just perfect too, great writing, cheers David

David Kavanagh
Date: 6/19/2023 3:31:00 AM

Nature abhors a vacuum Gary, even in the peace of space things are constantly stirring up, asteroids, supernovas, e.g, such is life!

Gary Radice
Date: 6/19/2023 2:16:00 AM

Thanks David. I really appreciate your comments. The sad thing is, of course, even if all the bluster, lies and wars could stop, I'm sure something equally 'noisey' would take their place. Cheers - Gary