Tuesday 23 April 2019

Silence


At first we talked because we wanted to
but talking became less as we grew comfortable
the quiet, a thin surface
vulnerable to disruption,


we waited, quietly, whispered occasionally, waited
no longer embarrassed at not speaking
and the quiet thickened and we let it peg us down
let childish concerns sleep
while we seek peace,

the silence becoming part of us
drawing us into ourselves
comfortably, discovering,

the sound of the outside rushing by, dimmed
the movements of the wind, grew feint
the working of our bodies, still
and the curtain was drawn on nature’s harmonies,

comfortable with quiet between us
we withdrew to our own silence, each
some journeys must be took alone
else there will be no story, to tell oneself,

for the silence we each seek is different
our silences, are the absence, of different things,

until silence
like still blood,

like the intake of a breath you cannot take
confronted with wonder, shock, loss, beauty
the gravity of an atomic explosion
muted by distance,

a knowing of ourselves, we allowed
no echoes, no marks of time
all is still
as silent as the sun
just the movement of water within water
felt not heard, the amplified silence of heavy snow,

this is not the silence of claustrophobic fear
of the bullet before the shot
the empty stare of the dark
at the bottom of the well
not a silence forced by detention, descent
with foreboding and judgement to come,

but a silence in the wealth of life
the healing of peace
like the moment before the event itself
the silence at the end of anticipation
before the baton twitches,
before the starter fires,
before the lights blaze bright
silence extended, in dwelt, and waited on,

so quiet and listen
let go all
still and listen
accepting the silence
the silence accepting us,

and there we sat each of us
until the silence let us go,

returning to a muted life
just a few favourite sounds, at first
the silence still present, woven in
and slowly with care
we threaded in voices
instruments of music and noise
at our own mindful speed
we threaded these back in
to the new patterns of our rearranged soul.