Lilies and Silence

Today, a whiff of lilies caught me unaware,

instantly back in that room, heavy, draped in dark.

The velvet smell, mixed with something in the air,

a silence so loud it left its own mark.

That polished wood casket, gleamed so unnatural and bright,

reflecting the high ceiling, cold and far away.

Everyone hushed, dressed in muted, respectful light,

but inside, a hollow space began to play.

No words could fill it, no hymns could mend,

just the feeling of absence, heavy and profound.

And the scent of those lilies, without an end,

lingering, a shadow on hallowed ground.

They shut the lid, and something inside me went quiet too.