Silence

I listen to the silence of the house. The furnace goes on, so the silence is not quite as all enveloping. I listen to the silence of the house and hear a cat's claws click on the wood floors. I listen to the silence of the house and hear water dripping from a leaky faucet. I listen to the silence of the house and hear my heart beat.

I sit and listen to the silence of the house and my cat jumps into my lap and purrs. Beyond the purr there is growing silence. The furnace has shut off, the faucet tightened. My heart still beats.

I hear the sound of a car driving by outside. A bird chirps. I hear leaves rustling in the wind. A branch taps at the window. A hairy woodpecker drills the side of the house. My cat still purrs. My heart still beats.

I remember as a child being so afraid of the silence of the house. I try and understand that fear. For now there is solace in the silence of the house.