Silence Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Have you ever shared a table
Dribbling, drooling a succession
Of platitudes, as monkeys grunt
Whilst sociably delousing?

Have you ever sat on the bus
Surrounded by squeaks and squeals
Leaking from i-pods and i-pads
As head bangers twitch and squirm
Like patients being administered ECT?

Have you ever cringed at work
Like a badger, worried by dogs baying full volume?
The constant assault on your senses
Shouting perform compete improve

Communal silence lightens the heart
Till it's just one single beat

Silence is the forgotten gift
Nobody gives anymore

It charms the ear
It lets the natural world be heard
The birdsong, the raindrop