Silence

noun si·lence ˈsī-lən(t)s

1. A lack of sound or noise

Or,

1. The sound of an empty school after the last student or teacher or cafeteria supervisor has left for the day.
2. The sound of an empty house that was expecting its occupant to come home today, but they didn’t.
3. The sound of someone who would like to speak, would like to scream even, but can’t breathe.
4. The sound of a group of people, standing still, heads bowed, candles lit, wax dripping, thoughts sent upward with the desperate notion that maybe if we light a candle and say please enough times in our own heads, things might change.
5. The sound of millions of people not raising their voice against the systemic oppression of millions of other people.
6. The sound of a taillight, flickering out.
7. The deafening quiet that immediately follows the crack of a gun being fired.