The squelch of the mud when the shovel hit the ground,

The mighty raindrops plopping on the brown-red earth, 

Murmuring and voices crying in the distance like humming bees retreating into the background, 

And then there it was, 

Silence.

No words needed as the coffin sealed shut,

Earth to Earth, 

Dust to Dust, 

Ashes to Ashes,

He was gone.

Pat-pat, the rain never stopped, 

Paper rustled, the bed creaked and feet clattered, 

But no one said anything, 

The anchor was gone and so was the light, 

The flame that kept everything and everyone warm, 

So was the beauty of five hearts that came together as one, 

Now only four remained, dull and ached, 

Like biting chilling ice with one's molar, 

But the truth sat with me, until it was just both of us. 

The chains jiggled, birds chirped and the water poured, 

Because somehow they had moved on, 

And I hadn't,

In that silence, I had seen — no, heard — the truth;

There wasn't anything,

There wasn't anyone, 

Who could replace him, 

Who would notice how my nails had grown longer, 

How my eyes had sunken deep into their sockets like it had seen enough and was retreating, 

Who would say "You've done well, I'm proud of you," 

No one said anything, 

Except from the silence.