Entering the Silence
by Kay Kestner:
Entering the Silence
The night breaks open with the howling of a pup left out in the yard. A strange air of hope in her voice as she calls out to the settling sky, then waits, pacing for a reply.
If only I could find the courage to call back to her,
“I can hear you.”
It is mid-April, and the chill of the dark is still sharp. I sit in a flickering candle lit room perched at my window. She paces and pauses behind a fence somewhere past the neighbor’s yard. We are two living statues too far apart in an old garden to see one another.
“I am left out here with you.”
The flat walls of houses reflect the moonlight and sound. The echoes of hope and anticipation wrestle around the bottom of the sky. I want to warn her.
“I have lived in that yard.
I have barked at those walls.
They cannot hear you.
They will not let you in.”
But I cannot tell her anything.
She still believes in reason, thinking, “If I keep calling, someone will answer me.” All night, “Someone will answer me.”
There is not even a light left on for her.
With one hand, I grab the window frame and hold tight.
My nails scratch the dust.
“I cannot reach you from here.”
Hours pass. Hope fades to desperation.
Moments before dawn, there is a whimper.
And then there is only silence.
© Written April 18, 1999 – Kay Kestner
Nationwide Protests April 5th, 2025
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Do Something for Democracy
The resources on the Do Something for Democracy page give you ways you can take action. Find what fits your comfort level. No one can do it all, but we all can do a little something.
Given the rapid changes to our government in the United States, it’s vitally important for us to speak up. Silence and apathy will only embolden a leader who serves his own agenda – an agenda that undermines democracy both within the US and around the world.
Every small act adds up when we all “do something.” Even if it’s just making one call, once a week to one of your representatives – that adds up!
Kay Kestner 