HUSHED

Sshhhhh

draw the curtains closed

unplug thoughts and plans

slip softly, slow-ly

deeply down

into a silken silence

enshrouded in night-time noiselessness

 

soul sealed in a velvet envelope

captured in the present moment

the chaos of life dissolves

from Ambition! Action! Achievement!

to a world condensed to taciturnity

 

luxurious lullaby

of unspoken words

lulled to serene dreamlessness

and a darkness

seamless and heedless

of hidden agendas or

ulterior motives

 

pacific hideaway of silent security

no one can touch

this place                                                         this peace

the soft, safe blankets

are soundproof

hushing to sweet decadent sleep.

[I wasn’t sure about this one, after all, it was only published a few weeks ago, on December 15, 2017 (issue 2549) but the recommendation for it came with “Good to see something different in The Voice. All writing should be encouraged,” and I couldn’t agree more. So for that, and because it was good enough to generate some comments the first time it was published, here it is again, in it’s proper place in the Best of the Voice 2017. -Ed.]