The Silence

by Mary Beth Magee

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Image credit: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

The verdict is in.

I have been found guilty

By reason of inaction.

When you needed me most,

When you needed the heat of

Passionate support,

I offered only lukewarm affirmation.

At a time when one more soul

Standing firm against oppression

Might have made a difference,

I wavered on the front line.

I found somewhere else I had to be,

Something else I had to do.

I failed you through my absence,

Through my silence,

Through my inconstancy.

Can you ever forgive me?

Will you let me stand by you now,

Joining the battle against hate,

Against bigotry?

I cannot undo my past failings.

I can only go forward.

I can lift my voice on your behalf.

I can be your true friend.

Please give me a chance to prove

I have learned to be a better friend,

And I will be silent no more

***

Mary Beth Magee

Mary Beth Magee has been writing prose and poetry for as long as she can remember, with an aim to uplift, illuminate, and inspire. Her work has appeared in local, regional, and national periodicals of both professional and nonprofessional nature as well as her own books and numerous anthologies. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, she now lives in south Mississippi. She is a mother and grandmother.