On Armistice day <br />I cycled past the cenotaph, <br />Stopped for a second and looked, then rode on <br />To meet you, in an Arsenal pub. <br /> <br />Keeping my head down, and my mouth shut, <br />As the signal for silence begins. <br />400 people watching silent TV, <br />Heads look around; wondering what to do, <br />Checking they’re doing the right thing. <br /> <br />Conversations drift off, volume down. <br />As a barman gets caught mid-service, <br />You mouth ‘thanks’ as you pick up your pint, <br />And sip to yourself, turn around and stay put. <br /> <br />You fake a cough, too embarrassed to admit <br />That you want to be quiet, and think.<br /><br />Ian Cushing<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/impromptu-1-minute-silence/
