The shape of silence

The shape of silence
           the space filled
by your absence –
           by words unsaid
by gestures unmade
           – memories
the only oxygen
           keeping me alive

The shape of silence
           in the world at large
– places walked
           bridges crossed
down by the riverside
           in the shadow
of the Tower
           past Traitor’s Gate
as the river rose
           as the river fell
slipping away silently
           to drown at sea

The shape of silence
           in the night
in the chambers
           of my heart
John Lyons