4'33"

1

four minutes and thirty three seconds, ad infinitum
i shall be the tree branch nobody hears breaking
i shall be the vacuum, the space continuum where

2

sound waves can’t travel when a star is burning
i shall be the prey soundlessly sleeping at night in the woods
underneath the muted exploding heaven i shall be quiet

3

for once in my life i shall be quiet
and then, if i don’t make a sound
if i gift you my silence, wrapped up in a little bow

4

if i make myself as small as you see me
if i learn how to do that (i will learn to do that) —
i can be the beat of silence after the major chords

.33

so that maybe then
i can sit next to you