I miss the sounds,
the cough from the kitchen,
the clink of your coffee cup
against the laminated table.
No one turns on the radio
unless I do.
Nobody starts the shower
unless it’s my hand on the faucet.
A car rumbles by.
A plane flies overhead.
Oh how these noises jeer.
If only, for one moment,
the stairs would creak
at another’s footfall,
a chair topple
because somebody’s kicked it accidentally.
Australian born poet and US resident since late seventies, John Grey works as a financial systems analyst. He has been recently published in Slant, Briar Cliff Review and Albatross with work upcoming in Poetry East, Cape Rock and REAL.
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12 Responses to “ABSENCE MAKES THE HOUSE GO SILENT • by John Grey”
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April 11th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Yep! This one choked me up. The loneliness of old age once the spouse has passed on – very deftly handled.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:11 am
The second one this week with a similar theme, masterfully presented. I especially like how the man is of few words, but conveys such loss and pain.
April 11th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Nice one.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Sad and poignant and beautifully done, John! I like how you skillfully left so much open to interpretation — whether the main character is young or old, man or woman, parent, mate or child. Very nicely done!
April 11th, 2009 at 6:12 am
nice one, John!
April 11th, 2009 at 6:27 am
It’s true what PSC said…I do not know if the person is divorced or a death or an empty-nester. All I know, is he/she is alone. Nice one, John.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Poignant…nicely done.
April 11th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Very good poem, effective prayer of sorrow at being alone. Soft rhythms of sadness and desperation. The noises of planes and cars containing people pass and “jeer” his aloneness. I find the word “topple” acts counter to the attitude of wishing that someone shared the house. The writer would have to supply the word, but wouldn’t a word like “shake” be more in accord?
April 11th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Like that the protag is anonymous–sad, but well told.
–dj
April 11th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Great insight into the simplest displeasures of loneliness. These basic images do so much to show the emotional state of the poem’s speaker. Well done.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:20 am
This is a beautiful bereavement poem. However I felt that the title wasn’t as good as the poem itself – just my opinion.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Lovely.