Serenade of Silence
He is silence soaked in, fully and firmly entrenched
Hammered and melded until – like Damascus-bred steel,
It is part and parcel of the essential man
Enmeshed in blood and bone and spirit and soul.
His voice is low and rasps across the senses
Sending phantom memories of a fiery burn – the finest brandy
Awakening the blood and stirring it aflame
Only to sooth away the burn with a honeyed tone
That hides a sharp and broken edge.
He sees through like with a calm, quiet, but piercing gaze
Lies, obfuscations, and hidden meanings vanish before him
As he weighs soul and heart, thought, word, and deed
Reflecting the truth in eyes that cannot lie.
Blue eyes, observant, sad, and shadowed eyes see all that surrounds him
Every sage and chaparral, every puff of dust aloft speaks to his sight
Telling him the tale of those who have passed by
Pain, rejection, loss, and things seen far too young
Reflect back to those who seek knowledge unbidden.
His whispered words reflect his soul and reveal his past
Layers of the man – broken and healed, soft and harsh edged
Shift together forming impressions and the resonant timbre
Of desert winds as they caress high canyon walls.
As gently mischievous as the otter after a rain storm
His eyes alight with joyous challenge as he spins a surprise
Shocking and teasing, bringing smiles to his companions
His sly, near silent laughter is the faint breeze
That slides across the dawn's breaking light.
He withholds judgment – refusing to believe unseen
Raised in two worlds he watches and waits
For acts – deed, words, signs – thought made too loud
Before responding with a sure and steady hand
When time sits heavy on his shoulders, burdened by the lies of men
And falsehoods of those seeking to misuse his generous nature
Or when his past raises its painful head
Bruising the sensitive soul hidden deep within
When his emotions, be they fair or foul become too much to endure or express
With simple notes reflecting the simple truths of his soul
He pours out his emotions in a wordless serenade.