A heavy wind is blowing in
From across the Gulf
Blowing past the barrier beaches
Flying across the bay

And up the street
Into my back yard.
The live oaks sway back and forth
The palm fronds bend as the breeze builds
The peace lilies dance in their clay pots
Their white flowers on the cusp of blooming

It’s a weighted wind
Carrying the moisture from the turquoise gulf
Laden with the fears and sorrows and prayers of so many
Across the land.
Blowing past the deserted beaches,
Streets and avenues, once full of life
Now standing empty

Silence surrounds us
Don’t want to watch the news
Don’t want to read it either
Nothing but bad news in the news.

How many more today?
I can’t listen to the answer.
When it’s over,
I’ll weep for everyone
Those who are gone
And those left behind

But today,
I’ll take the silence
I’ll listen to the wind talking as it flies by
Speaking of change coming
For all of us

I’ll sit in stillness
Asking no questions
Staying in the moment
where safety and peace
Sit with me.

By Deborah E. Dayen