We walked
out into town,
red bricks merged into
brown green blurs of leaves,
hedges, trees moving with ease
as chatter that was
there before
fell silent.
now just one voice
at the fore,
above floods of rain, words forcing
their way, a heavy
ricochet back & forth
nearly sending you off
course & you
remember
how easy it was before,
when every word
was not ignored but
knocked you to
the floor, but as
words pour you hold,
watch every element
& substance, slower
now, as if your flesh
could stop it all,
as if it could raise the dead
if that deeper voice
stood up and said.