I Hear Everything You Didn’t Say
By Liz Rae
It is easy to spot a storm from afar,
the way the wind blows, increasing its speed
the trees rattling ever so slightly, desperately trying to stay intact
the skies closing in on themselves
it is observed through the difference in temperatures, the drastic drop in air pressure
and the, sick, sudden darkening of the world
no crack of thunder is needed to know that soon the earth will shake
It is easy to sense an illness overtaking the body
the tiredness that sweeps through the mind, shutting down the brain
the throbbing pain in the back of the throat that
appears out of nowhere, when just the day
before a marathon could have been ran, a castle could have been built
no cough is needed, no sneeze needs to be had
to know that disease runs through the veins
It is easy to sense when an apparition is haunting nearby
the shivers that run beneath the floorboards
through the toes, up the torso into the spine
overtaking the entire body, from the core to the flesh
nothing needs to appear to recognize something
something is troubling, waiting, yearning to prance any moment
any chance that it gets
possessing its desires to cause chaos and fear in the night but never presenting itself in the light
no sounds need to shouted to prove vengeance is awaiting close by
it is easy to tell the way a human is thinking
no loud cracks of thunder need to be made to sense weak tremors rippling through their voice
no stabs to the soul or blunt forces need to be made to sense of why someone has turned so cold
no physical presence needs to be made for a human to cast themselves down upon you
no words are needed, no actions need to be taken
the human mind is capable of sensing another being’s perception of the world
it is quite miraculous, isn’t it? how a human can be so connected to another human without needing to vocally communicate
just the way a storm gives warning before the thunder
an illness sends trickling hints before disrupting health
an apparition haunts before nightmarishly causing fright
silence is all that is needed
and i heard you through kind words shattered by dark inflections
the cold disappearance after years of warmth
the demonizing narratives passed behind backs and underneath tables
you didn’t need to speak
i heard everything you didn’t say