I Want To Talk About Silence

I want to talk about silence,

How we think it is

A right, a solution, a virtue,

How in fact,

We are just too weak

To stand up against the wrong,

To really solve the problem,

And to make a voice.

How when we were in kindergarten

When we still had the nerve and courage

To say what we wanted to say,

We were taught to put our fingers over our lips,

And shush.

How when we grow older,

When we know the words and grammar

To say what we want to say,

We decide to let silence betray the sparkles of language,

And fade away.

Language is what distinguishes us

From other creatures,

And yet we decide to waive the right to

This fundamental heritage that is bestowed to us

What is the point of

Knowing all the vocabularies,

Having a voice,

Having a mind,

But not willing to use them

To make a sound,

To fight against silence

That for too long has deadened the world?

What is the point of

Having an opinion,

Having a thought,

But not willing to say it out loud,

To let other people know,

To let the world know,

That silence is not the solution to every problem,

But poison to the soul?