…silence is not golden

Don’t misread that old adage
‘silence speaks louder than words’
it underplays its influence
its capacity for hyperbole
and exaggerated expression

never fall for the allure
of the sweet songs of silence
for it is within its grasp
that everything is amplified
it seduces with whispers

it plays both sides
while crafting its delicate lies
paints sunshine over darkness
predicts stormy weather
over a gentle sea

we, in our search for peace
have taken it too literally
silence does not speak at all
just as black is the absence of colour
colourless, silence is not golden

but a dark empty void
that in and of itself can reach
into the very depths of your soul
where it magnifies your pain
your fear and insecurities

without so much as a whisper
as it swallows you whole
©Ann Bagnall