Our Silence

By Alejandro Duarte

When our silence was broken
My black and white world came to an end
You emerged from the warmth of your womb
Covered in cold and confusion
You emerged amid your cries of pain and welcoming
It was your first song
Laced with potential and meaning
It was a song to be writ, and writ again
By only your hand, upon your living parchment

Your hand, then, was feeble
I took you up with my own
Swaddled you in my hopes and my chaos
I held you tight to my chest,
Just there, from my heart
Together, we discover the sun and its colors
We discover lines and games that teach
I will only be able to hold you
To cherish you
For just so long
So, for now, we create the beauty that we can

Our silence was broken
My heart then, was wretched and dead
My grip was weak
We spoke words of joy
And some moored with tears
We share love and trust, our feast
We nourished on laughs and smiles
And you grow
You wear and speak beauty
And I’ve come to stand tall, proud
As I decline, I gratefully wither and die
Leaving you as I ever do
My love, to be swaddled someday
In our silence