Act VI: The Long Quiet
there's a stillness
it lingers in the air
after its all over.
an eerie feeling
of deep isolation
the sun rises after heavy rain.
birds singing, blue skies, and
i suppose i should be glad that
i've made it through
alive, and dubiously well
the long quiet after the storm passes
stepping back from the knife edge
i realize that all of this meant
very little in the grand scheme of things
and i was right! i made it in spite of it
all the anguish over what?
was I so weak as to break down over something so trivial?
or perhaps it wasn't so trivial after all.
maybe it was worth the pain.
to live though that experience
the stillness is unsettling.
no voices, no sounds, no thoughts.
only a quiet fatigue, settling over
one's broken body and mind
as withdrawal from both stimulants and society kicks in
all the more relevant
from there, it was quiet
uncomfortable
but quiet nonetheless
i had survived this far
better uncomfortable
but i had my first
night vision device
to bring me joy
and kept my head above
the floodwaters
my wounds would heal
albeit with time
and in the silence
i found peace
fleeting, and ephemeral
but peace nonetheless
a brief moment to myself
before i filled my life
with noise again
im glad i stayed for the long quiet