Learn To Love Silence

Sip it slowly,
at first. Tiny servings,
a jigger, a shot of silence.
Ignore the ocean of quiet waves,
far from shore,
on all our paths.
You do not have to
swim across today.
If you dwell on the ocean,
you panic and flail,
drowning in all the ways
you’ve ignored yourself—
All those nights desperate
for a crowd, any crowd,
parties, dinners, sports,
in a pinch, the shopping malls
and 24-hour grocery stores.
Instead, a cup, a pint until
you remember how
to love the ocean.