Silence fell like sheets of rain
and the soft gurgles of spout
and drain. Each room an empty
vessel, a hollowed-out shell,
an ocean’s echo chamber.
Thought she heard the stumbling buzz
of bees bumping into the screens,
leaving footprints of pollen.
Thought she heard one solemn word
handed down among the men.
Saying prayers, paying lip
service as the one aggrieved,
she stands, she sits, she falls down
hard on her knees. Listening
for voices she longed to hear.
