Cacophanous Silence

Simon & Garfunkel had somewhat to say about the sounds of silence

I certainly prefer them to the sounds of violence

Of course, outside the vacuum of space where sound doesn’t travel

True attempts at silence generally unravel

Here within our life sustaining atmospheric bubble

Silence rarely exists even amongst the aftermath’s rubble

Within the quiet birds chirp, insects whir, wind moans.. even a soft breeze

But those are sounds that, if we just “be” can set us at ease

Mankind is 0kay at silence in very short bursts

Excluding our breath, heartbeat, our coursing blood dispersed

But at sounds of violence mankind truly doth excel

For untold millions final sound rifle fire on a battlefield turned hell

Artillery shells whistling enroute to deliver cacophonous death

Moaning, crying, screaming of wounded whose bodies no longer mesh

Many are the sounds of violence mankind pours forth

A slap on the face, punch to the gut, even the bliss of birth

A baby squalls, smacked on the ass

An angry drunk smashes his glass

Tires screech as vindictive shouts are traded

Addicts and drug pushers cuss as their lairs are raided

War movies, action films full of fight scenes and explosions

We as a race seem enamored of noise and commotion

Still, throughout the hue and cry of violence

There are those moments of bliss and healing near silence

A mother humming a lullaby to her tired bairn

A nurse giving comfort that someone need not rest ‘neath cairn

A couple holding hands on the porch swing

Watching sunrise as the birds sing

Crickets and cicadas rub and chirp their own song

As babbling brooks wend over rocks in their journey long

One could go on forever I suppose, listing the contrasting sounds

But I’ll just listen to my lover’s breath then get another round

Meanwhile I truly hope for all our sake

That instead of cacophanous violence we more often hear a susurrus on the lake