Silent Screams- a Short Poem

January 19, 2016

I wrote this little poem back in Oct, 2014. Goodness, that long ago?

Anyway, it began as most of my writings do, something started me thinking about a silent scream, and this is what came out of it. It is a bit dark, as my Sister told me at the time, but there’s a certain… relatability to it. I think, anyway.

So, here it is again, for all to inspect and/or pick apart:

Silent Screams

Life behind these padded walls, as surreal as a dream

A dream where even silence screams, but only silent screams

Silent screams of ancient Queens beheaded on a stage

The stage, surrounded by noisy throng

Some hawking wares secured with tongs

Some yammering of someone else’s wrongs

One standing above, above any reproach

Heralding merits and valiant deeds like a coach

A coach who stores the team behind padded walls

Yes, life behind these padded walls. wishing t’were a dream

For here, unlike in dreams, the silence screams, but not silent screams

Not silent screams from ancient Queens beheaded on a stage.

An overdue update:

This poem saw publication in 2017 in the anthology Beautiful Tragedies. It rates as one of my first 2 short story publications (this and FMS2:AB with Duplicate Counterparts hit Amazon the same day).

6 Replies to “Silent Screams- a Short Poem”

Thanks! Though I have not seen any of the Thrones (movie, cartoon, comic, game, series; whatever versions have been done. 🙂 ) , I’m glad you were able to reference it through my little poem.

I don’t know much about poetry, but I do know this was very interesting. I liked the way you laid it out and rhymed it. Of course, what came to my mind was Game of Thrones. Queen Cersei to be exact. It also sounds like something they’d have on there. Some kind of riddle or something they’d tie in to some plot. Well done, John!

Thanks! I thought it kind of went off-topic with the third stanza, but others have, like yourself, quashed that thought. 🙂

You’re right about it being a little dark, but it was easy to imagine what was going on. There were a few times that I thought I saw silent screams in my patients eyes. I like the title and think it would be good for a novel.

Thanks!

I liked it.

John T M Herres says:

May 3, 2016 at 4:39 PM

Thanks! Though I have not seen any of the Thrones (movie, cartoon, comic, game, series; whatever versions have been done. 🙂 ) , I’m glad you were able to reference it through my little poem.
cmroch says:

May 3, 2016 at 3:39 PM

I don’t know much about poetry, but I do know this was very interesting. I liked the way you laid it out and rhymed it. Of course, what came to my mind was Game of Thrones. Queen Cersei to be exact. It also sounds like something they’d have on there. Some kind of riddle or something they’d tie in to some plot. Well done, John!
John T M Herres says:

January 25, 2016 at 10:58 AM

Thanks! I thought it kind of went off-topic with the third stanza, but others have, like yourself, quashed that thought. 🙂
quirkywritingcorner says:

January 25, 2016 at 8:45 AM

You’re right about it being a little dark, but it was easy to imagine what was going on. There were a few times that I thought I saw silent screams in my patients eyes. I like the title and think it would be good for a novel.
John T M Herres says:

January 20, 2016 at 9:47 AM

Thanks!
lbeth1950 says:

January 19, 2016 at 11:10 PM

I liked it.