Silent
      Presence
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Your
      silence
      more
     
     
      powerful
      than
      the
      words
     
     
      I
      want
      to
      hear
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Your
      presence
      is
      unknown,
     
     
      but
      strangely
      enough
      I
      can
     
     
      sense
      when
      you’re
      with
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      speak
      and
      you
      listen.
     
     
      I
      cry
      and
      you
      comfort.
     
     
      I
      laugh
      and
      you
      laugh
      too.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sometimes
      I
      say
      and
     
     
      do
      things
      that
      I
      wish
      I
      hadn’t,
     
     
      but
      you
      always
      forgive
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      can
      talk
      for
      hours.
     
     
      You
      don’t
      interrupt.
      Your
     
     
      patience
      is
      more
      than
      dreamed
      of.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      don’t
      put
      down
     
    

    
     
      or
      criticize,
      you
      make
     
    

    
     
      me
      feel
      better.
     
    

    
     
      And
      in
      my
      silent
      prayers
      at
     
     
      night,
      I
      know
      that
      you’
      ll
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      there
      tomorrow.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Amen.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —Sarah
      Mosher
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [17]