Poem by Abdullah Ahmad Badi

Silence

The silence is broken by random shards of conversation
It doesn’t matter though
Because the matter of the conversation doesn’t matter
Because we're only talking to stop the silence
Also because we already know
It is followed by more silence
We sit in silence
Looking deep into each other's eyes
Looking for something
But what I could never tell you
We will continue to look
For the other to do one thing that we can hold onto
For as long as we can to keep conversation going
Only because we know that if we let go it will be over
Let me ask you
Could this be a sign?
That we are holding on to something that is only going to go
I hope you know that I don’t want it to go
And I know you don’t want it to go either
But this back and forth is only a teaser
How do we make this work?
We clearly can’t get past that night or cover it in dirt
I was wrong, which makes me hurt
Mainly because I know that you were hurt
So for the few seconds we have of flowing conversation
I don’t know about you but I get the greatest sensation
Only because I’m sure it’s pure
You’re always my best friend and I’m always yours