Say Nothing Poem by Susan Vannatta

Distance surrounds us as you
stand next to me, and
the atmosphere is thick with
silent phrases we both wish to speak,
fluttering around our heads.
You open your mouth, full of words,
and close it with confusion of
which ones to pick. We both
know exactly what we want
to tell each other, yet neither
of us can form a sentence.
I sort through letters in my mind,
making just the right words, but
my perfect expression becomes
lodged inside my throat. My
face twists in disgust with the
taste that it leaves, I’m now
counting on you to spit it out.
Seconds drip by, taking years of time.
I know that you will say nothing,
yet I refuse to let the words
fall from my mouth. You have
come to the same conclusion, and
we’re both defeated by ourselves.
We embrace again, more distance
between us than before, and
continue to move on, less enthusiastic
than before, both of us aware
that this is broken, that we have
Failed. We still say nothing.