The moments of silence are gone We run from them into the rush of unimportant things Unspoken painful whispers Dwelling on all that we fear Unwilling or unable To be free of this modern machine To part ways with all that is toxic Hundreds and thousands of betrayals How far we have veered from our primeval purpose Turned and stayed sour Cynical and judgmental We widen this web technology Race through our days Increase the pressures Stimulants to an exhausted nervous system Between us and the immediate A fire inside the charred heart of a burned-out teacher Cut offย ย From life's blessings From our neighbors From the wonders of nature Slowly forgetting how to smile Our silence has become a figure of speech Hissing above the echoing vacuum.