A conversation with no echo
I speak in careful sentences,
soft as folded laundry,
set between us like offerings
I hope you’ll notice.
But your silence is louder
than anything I could say.
It fills the room
thick, unmoving
like air before a storm
that never breaks.
I try again,
this time sharper,
edges in my voice
I didn’t mean to grow.
Still, you nod at the wrong moments,
answer questions I never asked,
miss the trembling
in what I’m trying to hand you.
It’s a strange thing
to feel alone
while sitting inches away.
Your eyes pass over me
like I’m scenery
in a place you’ve already left.
So I start speaking smaller.
Then quieter.
Then not at all.
And you don’t notice
when my words disappear
only the peace
of not having to hear them.
But inside,
I am still talking,
still calling your name
in rooms you no longer enter.
And I wonder
how long a voice can live
without being heard
before it forgets
how to exist.
Experiencing silence in communication can be deeply isolating, especially when you're physically close to someone yet feel emotionally distant. In many relationships, attempts to express feelings or thoughts may be met with silence or misunderstanding, which can create an invisible barrier even when two people share the same space. From my own experience, speaking carefully and hoping to be understood is often met with unintended responses such as nodding at inappropriate moments or answering unasked questions, which only heightens the feeling of being unseen or unheard. This disconnect is like a growing silence that fills the room—thick and unmoving, much like the tense air before a storm that never actually arrives. As a result, one might start to diminish their own voice, speaking smaller and quieter until they stop altogether, seeking peace in not having to hear their own frustration reflected back. Yet internally, the thoughts and emotions continue to call out, longing for acknowledgment. It highlights a profound question about how long a voice can exist without being heard before it fades from existence altogether. This poem captures the bittersweet reality of feeling alone amidst proximity and illustrates the emotional nuance of silent miscommunication that many people endure. Recognizing these feelings is the first step toward empathy and connection, reminding us that sometimes, simply being present and truly listening can break through the echo of silence and restore meaningful dialogue.
