Quiet
Location
They hiss,
They scream,
Sometimes lower
Than a whisper,
Other times louder than
A foghorn.
Since childhood they
Have haunted his
Mind.
They are difficult to handle
But peaceful overall,
Until he learns that they
Should not exist.
He tries talking them
Away by therapists. They
Raise their volume to
Remind him that they
Will not leave,
Will never fade.
Drugs are suggested
To mute their cries
Of anguish,
Their screams of fury.
They get louder in response.
The dosage rises.
Pill bottles empty.
The voices are silenced
No longer than a week.
Then they begin again,
Vying for his
Attention and making
Up for lost time.
He doesn't sleep at night.
He stays awake,
Begging them to stop,
To leave him be,
Or at least to be happy.
He is ignored.
They continue their screeching,
Until words no longer exist,
Not for them,
And not for him.
He doesn't speak anymore,
Doesn't hear what others say.
He stares off in a daze.
His caretakers hope
That it is quiet in his world.
It never is.