I Left the Fan On

I Left the Fan On I walked through the house. It’s empty now that the kids are gone I open one of their doors. There’s a quiet in there, a quiet I don’t remember. They say there’s no sound in space, just silence. I feel lost in that space. There’s an old fan on the dresser. I flick the fan on. Suddenly the room comes alive. Alive with the sounds of laughter: “Hey daddy, watch this!” “please, just one more game” “alright, a few minutes more” And tears: “He said he loved me” “My heart’s broken” “It breaks my heart too” I never knew how much I missed the noise. The room’s empty again. I wipe a tear. I go to turn off the light, and there’s the old fan. The whir of the blades is the only sound left. I think I’ll leave it on. 10.12.16