Gilded Silence

 

Muted void
in soundless gape

through which
language stumbles
strangles
struggles
stutters

and fails

cruel fate
impales the heart of broca

thus
grasp-less meaning

darklinged
amorphous
ever-elusive
tongue-less exasperation

unsaid frustration

‘round and down
cerebral corridors
in search of words
unfound

unbound to sound
of worth
or clarity

dispossessed
of diction
of spoken function
of comprehension

and yet
to nearly know

but no

lost
just below comprehension
null understanding

it fogs and fades
flounders
unformed

falling to
stutter
and stammer

stilted
stifled
and lost

blind to the meaning
bound in confusion

wisdom of the ages
from temples of knowledge
pillared
in the ivory of suffering
but all locked within

trapped
in a soundless prison

gilded
yet mute

expressionless

lost
to deafened ears
unresponsive as stone

alone
in darkness
unspeaking

silenced

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

 

Here’s Paul & Art, the originators, with a perhaps more genteel version:

20 thoughts on “Gilded Silence”

  1. Okay so you sent me searching
    (Pierre Paul Broca was a French physician, anatomist and anthropologist. He is best known for his research on Broca’s area, a region of the frontal lobe that is named after him. Broca’s area is involved with language. Wikipedia)

    Nice one Rob
    Happy Sunday

    Much?love

    1. It was a “stream-of-consciouness” piece, evoked by the wonderful image. I am feel at sometime down the road I may return to this piece to re-read, focused on the possibility of editing to refine it — but who knows. I rather enjoy the orgasm of expression it represents Chrissa, so thank you for your very gracious acknowledgment. 🙂

    1. If only I could find the words when I get stuck in one of my “just-at-the-edge-of-my-mind” moments Sherry. It is such a helplessly annoying situation — especially when what I was trying to reach for to express was important… even if only to me.

    1. Thank you Susie… 🙂 we also seem too easily shocked silent, to stay mute, stifled, in the most overwhelming moments, when speaking out, with words of wisdom and counsel, might actually make a real difference.

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