I’m a person who suffers
quietly. Though if I were loud,
if my screams rattled the tiles on the roof
and stopped the blood in your veins
would you hear me?
Would I be heard if I stampeded
back and forth with a herd
of steel-shod heifers, clumsy and
uncaring
would I be noticed or would you look up
from your book only to note the vase
had fallen
to the floor
and ask
“Darling, did you hear something?”