Omosun Sylvester

A MOMENT OF SILENCE

I
A moment in silence
blind to all thought
protected by its own silence
as though by a shield-

You shook your head
shrugged and waved
your arms to encompass
everything around us-

There was no sigh of interruption
though my world was as silent as ever-

I watched you as your finger work
and thought how fat your hands were
through the silence
didn't know there'd be words in deed-

Suddenly one word I never thought I could hear
a silence I never though could voice
creeps into my consciousness
in a world were I now
'see voices'...

Arms and fingers run
forming simple shapes
like branches on a live breathing tree
so lively that they seems to chatter
like small impatient tongues
with a will to speak...

II
I was always afraid
to tell you with movement
or even words about the silence
I was born with but feared

Knowing I have not been
as others were
I have not seen
as others saw

I remember
the need I created you with
the silence I summoned you from
the desire placed a trench
on the floor of my loneliness
deep as the wound in Jesus palm

Worrying you couldn't come
Shaping word, wording my life
to taste for once
just once the words upon your lips

III
Alone in the quiet
I'd read you lips by moonlight
the redness and all
or by the light in my heart
its every shape..

As I look at you
I think of this -
think of how it feels
to love someone
someone beyond...
my quite little lonely world.

And knowing it is true
I have everything to fear
and the words -
I could not say..
nailed on my cross

Omosun Sylvester, is on the Staff of Bells University of technology. He is hearing and speech impaired and the author of three books of poetry. He is currently working on his new book A World Where I See Voices. Sylvester lives in Nigeria. His blog Tribal Poetry features his thoughts on poetry, Africa and other topics. Feel free to get in touch with him at tribalpoetry@yahoo.com.