my silence is
a knot in my throat
tied so tightly
around every chord
that I can barely breathe

my silence is
a tongue so twisted
that each word
comes out sloppily
slurred and incoherent

it is a mouth so full
it can no longer
swallow the years
of sorrow and shame

it is an ocean of regret
whose waves come
crashing down on
the shores of my soul

my silence is
a desert of despair
its bleak landscape
offering no shelter
from the demons within 

it is a prison whose
thoughts fight
futilely to escape
its enclosing walls

my silence is
too soft spoken
to be heard
and too afraid
to break free
it is too heartbroken
to believe in love
and too wounded
for this lifetime to heal

my silence is
the loudest scream
in a crowded room
where no one listens
and everyone sleeps

my silence is
too restless
to sit still
it is too brave
to remain idle
too bold
to be hushed
it is too eager
to unveil its truth

my silence is
a solitary mourner
at its own
belated funeral
it is an open casket
whose painful secrets
are finally revealed

my silence is
the darkest nightmare
forever ended

my silence is
no longer
silent