Death shuts us all up.
After death, what’s left to say?
“I’m sorry.”
“My condolences.”
“She’s in a better place now.”
What good do those words do the dead?

What good do those words do the mourning?
What help language?
What use prayer?
How will any benefit from such useless sounds?

Better the death of noise
for now
to complement
the other losses.
Better to share these gaping absences
until some warmth returns
and we are all a little less cold.