What is the sound of death for you? Silence?
No hymns and screams and cries? Just pain inside?
You don’t feel hate, anger, or malevolence—
Just solitude. Everything else you hide.
For me death sounds like distant screams at dawn,
Screaming and crying infants left alone,
Running footsteps on stone pavements and lawn,
And the high pitched ring of the telephone.
The constant counting of one, two, and three
and the fading wail of an ambulance.
Quiet street and rustling leaves of a tree.
Seeing the tree’s shadow reflect a dance.
Electric fan on, myself praying
To God that dad will come back home breathing.
—-
Ella Jade Ismael, a writing major in UP Mindanao, was a fellow at the recent DWG Writers Workshop.
I nearly came to tears upon reading this poem. I bear witness to the actual event that took place on May 6, 2008 which became an inspiration for this poem. Kudos ilah!. you have expressed something negative, positively.
I nearly came to tears upon reading this poem. I witnessed the actual event that took place on May 6, 2008 which became an inspiration for this poem.
Kudos ilah!.
you have expressed something negative, positively.
well-written and poignant piece. keep writing 😉