you played guitar

a child’s toy
plucked
strummed
singing silently away
music inside your head

in turn I
played halting chords
Morrisey and Marr’s
catalogue
stretching and waiting
but sat on the floor

you couldn’t hear

dissonance
a weight of shyness
mis-placed sevenths
strung to a tune

I couldn’t hear

your melodies
spirit of inspiration
take on the world
lost to silence

hearing and all speech
impaired

copyright ashyvicar 2019