The couple at the next table
arguing about politics.
The guy at the bar
telling a story like he’s Hemingway reborn.
The TV spitting out bad news
no one can fix.
I sip my drink,
listen to the ice melt.
I could say something.
I could stand up,
slam my glass down,
make a speech.
But what’s the point?
I just want the silence.
I want the sound of nothing.
So I close my eyes,
finish my drink,
and hope the world
loses its voice
for just one
goddamn second.
