Silence
By Kathy Guthormsen
A blanket of pristine snow glistens on the grass, while windows glow from warm fires inside
Ice frosts peaked rooves, softening their lines
The village waits in silence
A brightly lit Christmas tree sits in the square
Streetlights glow under a darkening sky
The village waits alone
There are no people singing carols
No children laughing and building snowmen before going inside for cookies and milk
The village waits alone in silence
Fretful silence
Fearful silence
Frantic silence
Pregnant silence
Palpable silence
Potent silence
Reflective silence
Ruminating silence
Resilient silence
Tacit silence
Tactful silence
Total silence
Silence between heartbeats
Silence between breaths
Silence between impulse and response
The villagers shelter cautiously behind closed doors, alone
Some have been taken by an insidious virus
And grieved for in silence
The villagers are gone
But the village awaits their return
In hopeful silence
Kathy Guthormsen’s work has been published in The Write Spot: Memories, The Write Spot: Possibilities, and The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing, all available on Amazon.
Her Halloween story, Run, was published in the Petaluma Argus Courier in October2020.
Kathy lives in northern California with her husband, one psychotic cat, a small flock of demanding chickens, and a pond full of peaceful koi. She maintains a blog, Kathy G. Space, where she occasionally posts essays, short stories, and fairy tales.
