The moment before response
There is a brief moment
before someone responds.
It passes quickly.
Often unnoticed.
But everything is visible there.
Whether they are thinking,
or preparing.
Whether something is still open,
or already decided.
You can hear it in the pause.
Not its length,
but its quality.
Some pauses hold possibility.
Others confirm what is coming.
By the time the words arrive,
the direction is already clear.