Vows Byron Hoot I have broken my vow a few times today, the one living alone gives, the vow of silence. I go out of my way to break it when I can – a call, a word to a stranger. The vow does not include interior monologues and dia- logues – these are not negotiable. Some days there are no other voices needed, some days, like today, I need to speak, to hear, to churn the words to the meanings – however small – they hold. Sometimes I need to hear for that other vow to be known, the one that says if I hear I will be heard: cross my heart, hope to die, I’ve heard those words spoken.
![grandfather and grandson sitting in a forest and drinking from the tin cups](https://i0.wp.com/hootnhowlpoetry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/pexels-photo-10419963.jpeg?fit=1880%2C1253&ssl=1)