Silence Falling by Ann E. Wallace

A succession of thumps

rapid, louder, then done

as body hits solid ground,

no shriek or howl

the silence

tells me it is

you who

hold tight to

the water glasses,

one in each hand,

that keep you from

breaking your fall,

but still, you let out

no shattering

cry as your body

tumbles

I know the sting

of unseen

bruises is kept

private

in days to come,

I know not to ask—

there’s nothing

to see, no

story to tell

but your sealed

lips lead me to wonder—

what muted

pain is

tucked deep

inside

of a girl

who does not

scream when

she falls?

"Silence Falling” is included in Counting by Sevens, a poetry collection by Ann E. Wallace, Main Street Rag (2019), available at https://mainstreetragbookstore.com.

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Ann E. Wallace’s poetry collection, Counting by Sevens, is forthcoming in summer 2019 from Main Street Rag. Recently published pieces in journals such as Mom Egg Review, Wordgathering, Snapdragon, Rogue Agent, and Riggwelter can be found on her website AnnWallacePhD.com. She lives in Jersey City, NJ and is on Twitter @annwlace409.