Fable of dark silence

a dark silence glided across
the hills like a black bird,
silent and steady, barely noticeable
unless one were specifically watching

the silence landed on the clouds
and draped them across the low
angled sun, pulling them together
into a long shroud to dim the light

the silence landed in a tree
and waited as the leaves crinkled
and fell, faded and dry, into still
piles below the spreading branches

the silence landed on the river
where the water chilled and slowed
and its song grew high and thin into nothing
and the rocks drew within themselves

all the songbirds flew away
the fox burrowed deep to sleep
the owl fluffed its feathered coat into thickness
the woman walked more quickly

the woman kept her head down
the wind did not sing with the leaves
and the river did not sing with the rocks
the silence took a deep breath

stretched and arched its back
slid its shadowed eyes across the land
and, opening its bottomless mouth,
let slip its inaudible darkness




Click on the photo to see a larger version.