Realizing Quiet

I am thinking of all the times I have carelessly walked through a door with the noise of my day buzzing around me; loudly throwing keys to the table, dropping bags to the floor as I begin out loud thoughts that end with other tangents; Times I have walked past a loved one without eye contact or touch...

I'm so hungry,

I'm so tired,

I'm so frustrated,

I'm not one to judge, but you understand right?
I'm so ready for bed, I'm excited to meet with friends,
Oh by the way, what was your day like?

Now I'm thinking of how I couldn't know
Of the noise tires make as they slosh through snow
Abruptly stopping in the drive before they even slow
An innocent intruder who brushes in with the cold
Loud breaths to overtake the quiet you came to know
The clashing of keys dropped heavily on the table
All of this interrupts the immersion of you in the pages
Pages that took you from the noise, the fear
The safety of thoughts only you can hear
Of yourself as you, open and hopeful
Of yourself unaborted, with a kiss to leave you vulnerable
A hope that someday, you will feel
A comforting break from your own heavy silence
A welcoming warmth when Good Intention opens the door
Confidence that the other side of the bed won't be empty anymore.

Noise

I am hearing noises I didn't hear before.
The sink drips incessantly
Tap-Tapping to remind me
Of things that don't exist anymore

The sound that water makes
In pipes that surround an empty place
Traveling through the house bones
Spelling out clearly the word ALONE

The stairs whisper and creak
The wind blows impatiently
These are the haunting sounds
Of nothing, of everything