She’s No Friend of Mine

A million times a day

It started with the morning sunlight

Often continued even after bedtime

Mom! Mom! Mom!

Wipe my butt!

Whereʼs the cookies?

Whereʼs my shoes?

Can I - Will you - Buy me -

Drive–me - Help–me - Feed me -

I need - I want - Gimme!!

I used to long for silence

I used to fantasize about changing my name

I used to get annoyed

Why is it always “MOM!"

And never "DAD!"

Then I got my wish

Suddenly

No more "MOM” 400 times a day

Not even once a day

I wished for silence

My wish was granted…

Silence is not a friend

Silence is a tricky little devil

No…..

Silence is a fucking cunt

Silence seems so attractive from afar

She makes you long for her

Burn with desire for her

Pray to God for her

Then when you finally find her

You discover her brutality

She's fʼll of sharp edges and trap doors

Steep drop offs and hairpin turns

And you realize it's not really quiet at all

Silence is an unbreakable scream

And you realize she's always been screaming

But that her continuous tone

Was easily drowned out by all the noise before

Back when your name was called

Back when you were needed

Back when you were useful and necessary

Back when you were a mother

A wife, a sister, a girlfriend, a daughter

Back when you were loved

Behind her million dollar smile

Silence has sharp teeth

She'll latch on if she can

If you can hear her,

It's already too late