NEPHART.COM

He said

he wants to buy a house

in a quiet place

I told him

everywhere is quiet here

nobody is going to blow a trumpet

in your ears

while you are sitting peacefully

in your room

yes

vehicles move

a few horns

children play

dogs bark

neighbours argue

sometimes a husband

might be ducking utensils

thrown by his wife

but that is life

I thought

you must have lived that life already

and still

you want somewhere quieter

there are some places I know

but silence comes with a price

if you can afford it

you can live far away

from all the noise

no one will knock on your door

to ask if you are all right

no one will preach to you

no one will try to sell you anything

neighbours may still argue

but their soundproof walls

will swallow every word

dogs may bark sometimes

when a stranger passes

but most of the day

even they will have

nothing much to complain about

I looked at him

and said

I am selling my house

buy it

and that is how

I got a good price

for my house

but he must be cursing me now