Day of Silence
A shredded temple curtain lies
Upon a shattered floor;
Silent Sabbath,
Daylight weeps before a stone,
Birds withhold their songs,
Dawn - undecided -
Rain - holding its breath -
Sunlight pacing -
Flowers fragrance -
Wandering in the shadows -
Jeers and taunts
Run from their echoes -
Earth's quaking - stilled
Broken palms - quiet dirges -
Whispers tiptoeing past
Stunned dreams - broken -
While midnight stands watch
At a tomb
Yet in the dawn
Guards an empty sepulchre
When "Alleluia" -
Thundering joy -
Rings out
For this was no ordinary man
Shouted from Heaven's rooftops!
I know it will be quiet when you come:
No wind; the water breathing steadily;
A light like ghost of silver on the sea;
And the surf dreamily fingering his drum.
Twilight will drift in large and leave me numb
With nearness to the last tranquility;
And then the slow and languorous tyranny
Of orange moon, pale night, and cricket hum.
And suddenly there will be twist of tide,
A rustling as of thin silk on the sand,
The tremor of a presence at my side,
The tremble of a hand upon my hand:
And pulses sharp with pain, and fires fanned,
And words that stumble into stars and hide.
I should’ve prepared
For this vow of silence
But I had no idea
Today was for alliance
You’re bullied and torn
And words are buried
By the close minded ones
Who make themselves adversaries
Why tear down others
Because of their love
Some dude doesn’t like them
Who isn’t here but up above
A coward’s excuse
Is to say, “What if it spreads?”
You were gay from the beginning
Don’t deny what’s in your head
We are humans and lovers
Belonging to the same nouns
You fear my love of both genders
Turn that frown upside down
Because I won’t love you
If you can’t love humans back
We are silent today
Due to the acceptance you lack
Dedicated to the GLSEN Day of Silence
I promise to participate next year
When you ask me to speak up in class,
You may not realize that I have my reasons for staying silent.
When you tell me not to be a “crybaby”,
You may not realize that I have my reasons for crying.
When you tell me that my dreams are stupid,
You may not realize that I have my dreams for a reason.
When you tell me to shut up
You may not realize that I already have
Because I am silenced
Silenced by you.
Shh...
Hush...
Don't speak those words,
We don't want to hear them.
Remember us...
Do not forget...
Though we are gone,
Our memory remains.
Don't joke...
Don't laugh...
It's not funny,
The pain we deal with.
You ridicule...
You mock...
Who are you to judge us,
Have you forgotten we're human too?
This Day is for us,
When our pain and loss
Speak through the silence of others.
March 4, 2011
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