Loud As Laughter

My son's only word is breath

And after years and years of tests

And a cruel experiment in my chest

All I have is waiting

But there will never be another sound as loud as his laughter

With his eyes, he says, I know your first word was failure

My son struggles with his tongue

And after years and years of staying numb

And a forest fire raging in my lung

All I have is waiting

But there will never be another sound that hurts more than his silence