I have known the silence of the stars and of the sea,
And the silence of the city when it pauses,
And the silence for which music alone finds the word,
And the silence of the woods before the winds of spring begin,

And the silence of the sick
When their eyes roam about the room...

There is the silence of a great hatred,
And the silence of a great love,
And the silence of a deep peace of mind,
And the silence of an embittered friendship...

There is the silence of defeat.
There is the silence of those unjustly punished;
And the silence of the dying whose hand
Suddenly grips yours.
There is the silence between father and son,
When the father cannot explain his life,
Even though he be misunderstood for it.
There is the silence that comes between husband and wife.
There is the silence of those who have failed;
And the vast silence that covers
Broken nations and vanquished leaders.