Silent River

this silent river

of the unspoken

flows past our skin

flows between us

invisible too

we hadn't even seen it

till now

how many generations

have silenced their tears?

held their fury in their throats?

forgotten the touch of tenderness?

muted their voices?

I hear this silent river

full refulgent brimming over

with untold stories

with unspoken histories

with unsung sorrows

and unarticulated joy

with unremembered truth

a gleaming gold fish 

darts through the water ahead

make no mistake 

it is too much for any one of us

it belongs to us

this is our collective remembering

thawing

melting out of our mouths

warmed by the heat 

of saliva

of tears

of blood

of mucus

of breath

aaaah aaaah

AAAAH

somewhere the rain

pulses towards the earth 

time 

—eons epochs centuries decades this very moment—

has acted on the banks of this river

in ways we don't even imagine

there can be no hurry

only melting

ooooooh

and the river winding

flowing

current upon current

embraced by more currents

as the currents gain force

—Lorena Wolfman