silence

christopher pratt half moon, bright stars

the approach of silence

is sometimes a noisy affair

heralded by the march past of

brass bands

and dancing girls

motor cars

filled with people

whose waving hands

cup vainly at the air

hoping to draw some of your attention

to their passing

while you

sit on the smooth lip

of a cold concrete curb -

craving nothing more than a moment

in which to savour the taste

of the silky sweet

hard-boiled candy

that the clown dropped in your lap