PUNISHMENT

silence is a weapon, sharper than knife

quicker than silver bullet
will make a vampire stop in her
tracks, remind her she is bloodsucker
undead not worth life

silence can punish better than
40 lashes than water boarding
can make agent orange
seem like red Koolaid
like watermelon dripping down
chins down arms; silence
can make electric chair
look like chaise lounge
like rocking chair to rock
to eternal sleep


silence can accuse and prosecute
for not being perfect, for making
grossest mistakes that ends
relationships 

silence can say
you no longer exist to me
better than a text message
than note to self 
than note to
ex-everything-you-ever-thought-you-were-to-me

silence shouts I don't care 
what happens to you 
why don't you do us all a favor and die


silence makes the voices in your head
loud insistent true
say you are no good 
 are not worth forgiving
committed unpardonable sin

silence whispers
you take up too much 
room on the planet
why don't you yield your space 
to someone who matters

silence can beat
the very breath soul
out of you 
make you feel like
what's the use of going on
it can manipulate
you into the truth that
anything is better than you

© Valerie Bridgeman
March 28, 2013
EDITED April 15, 2013