“Silent Tears Only” read the sign beyond the door and all the souls that traveled through would sign the dotted line (which was, indeed, for them, the unborn souls) before climbing down to earth on Jacob’s Ladder with the Angels.

And the Voice within said, “Smile and say that
everything’s O.K. Don’t cry. Don’t let it show that you’re afraid.”

Slamn it. Why can’t we cry together, and from our tears, at least know that we are not alone. Let the orphans dance a wild dance, gyrate with wailing cries. Let it out.

Beat a drum to which their feet will dance upon the earth, and let the beaten earth receive their tears. Let it be no secret to the world, no shame upon their head, that they were told to never cry.

Let them roar, bellow, screetch, scream, sob, cry, and whisper--These are the sounds that echo in our hearts, are they not?
Let them be known.

How come we grow up climbing Everests alone?
Let’s all sit down and have a good cry, and scream our grief to the stars, if no one else will join in our holy cacophony.

Let loose our urge to hold it all together.
We are stronger saying that we’re weak,
and that it’s hard to be so strong.

The rock that was his pillow that fateful night, that was his alter to an unknown God, was damp with Heaven’s tears come morning.

The sky will sob, and past the door and past the sign that speaks the Lie, will come a flood of tears--but still the Voice within:

“Don’t cry.
Break your leg, keep runnin’.
Take a hit, keep punchin’.
Just don’t cry.
Don’t ever cry.”

Written July 11, 2007