Silence

It's a comfort

Silence means no fights

Silence means calm

Silence means safety

At least it usually does

But not now

The silence here is unbearable

It's terrifying

Your parents sit across from you

Your mother shouted moments prior

Raised her voice to scare you

And now

It's silent

Which you want to think is good

You want to feel safe

To feel comforted by the quiet

But you're not

You're not because the woman you fear is still here

You're not because you're about to cry

You're not because every sense of comfort you know is tainted

It's tainted and it's ruined

So you stand up

You stand up and walk away

To a new comfort

To a new silence