The world you walk is silent
because you are deaf.
Plants scream when cut or parched.
Animals wail in other frequencies.
Meteorites pound ground
beyond every hill.
Stars throb farewell,
sinking into black holes
Whales wail eulogies
for pod members past.
And behind it all,
like a cosmic toothache,
the dull throb of the Big Bang.
Greg Beatty has written everything from jokes about cows to essays about cooking disasters (no, you can’t substitute baking powder for flour just because they are both white), but he specializes in short stories and children’s books. He’s published hundreds of works, and won dozens of awards. When he’s not writing, he teaches college and walks his dog.
He has republished dozens of his short stories on Payhip: https://payhip.com/GregBeatty
Published 10/31/24