Welcome to Word Play Wednesday!
Word Play Wednesday is a weekly feature of written and spoken word poetry. I will be sharing my written and spoken word poems in addition to poems by other wonderful Poets both past and present. If you are interested in sharing some of your poetry, feel free to buzz me and we can work something out.
I hope that you enjoy reading and listening to our thoughts, feelings and rants and in many ways relate to some of them.
Enjoy!
This week I will be sharing a poem I recently wrote which was first inspired by listening to spoken word poetry by one of my best Bassey Ikpi , whose poetry I featured on the last WPW feature. I hope you like it.
This Silence
I have always loved silence,
but this silence,
It is heavy,
It is tense,
It is loud.
Now all our mindless chatter and banter,
Our whispers, giggles, laughter,
Endless conversations about everything and nothing.
The back and forth of words,
analyzing people, food, news and tv shows,
analyzing dreams, scripture, culture.
Secrets, Yes!
Telling it all,
not holding back at all,
not ever thinking twice of what to say or when.
Sometimes, staying silent but speaking volumes
with our eyes and our smiles and with funny gestures,
like lifting up noses and eyebrows and nodding,
as if to say,
I hear you.
Comforting words,
that soothe the deepest hurt and pain and loss.
Phone calls,
just to say hello,
sometimes too long,
but pleasurable and enjoyable and memorable and,
All this have been buried,
in this silence.
How can we be short of words?
How can we not get past this awkwardness
and whatever it is that has brought darkness to our light?
Why can’t we go back to our bright smiles?
Prattling, babbling about whatever it is that makes us tick.
Why can’t we use the same words that always brought us joy and peace and love,
To say,
something like,
Sorry or
Let’s talk about this or
Let’s go back or
Let’s forget and
Let’s forgive or
Let’s get past this or
Can we get past this?
Can we try?
Can we trust?
Can we start all over?
Because,
everything is better,
than words unsaid, words unspoken,
words concealed, hidden, covered,
in this silence!
I have always loved silence,
but this silence,
It is heavy,
It is tense,
It is loud.
This Silence!
LOUD!
-Biyai Garricks
