I pray silently.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I search in myself for wisdom.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I try to find the right words.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I remember all I have been taught about restraint.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I know words will only inflame the anger.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I listen quietly as others try and fail to calm the storm.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

I feel the weight of sorry, of guilt, of helplessness.

The person hurting
hears nothing.

This is the sound of failure.
Well-intentioned
Attentive
Failure.

Now I pray silently
that I will do better
next time.

Because the person hurting
heard nothing.