There is a silence bursting forth
from the middle of things, like the name
of a beloved that sings exchanged between the lover
and his inner thoughts
cherished like a treasure
this nameless presence is nearer to you than your inner thoughts
yet more distant than limits of the universe
this beautiful contagious silence cannot be caught
by the imaginations of a science
whose formulas are like machines
which conquer all that can be seen,
but are unable to enjoy the rest of a tranquil heart
there is this solitude
which runs deeper than the known
deeper than which calculation has shown
it is a silence that breaths in the middle of exchanges
a moment which rearranges the interior of the soul
like a bowl filled with oil and vinegar
that needs to be stirred for the sake of flavor
so that one might savor the mixing
of two elements which remain distinct
but yet are joined together create a delicious harmony
I know silence I have reeked of it in the morning
and being apprehended by a police officer at 5 am
I have been accused of driving under the influence of silence
and where was I going?
If not to spend more of my hard earned money on her
You see, I am hopelessly addicted to her quiet embrace
and I stare constantly at her warm inviting face
I have been accused of being an armed accomplice of silence
I have helped her to rob unsuspecting victims
we have entered into situations where
noise is the norm
and her beauty is unwanted, unheeded, undesired
and I have been convicted of these crimes
against the chatter of casual conversation
the smoke of empty words
the endless stream of meaningless ponderings
the pratter of hours consumed with little loud nothings
all frivolous in afternoon rooms
I have done violence to these useless spaces
But I have also made friends based on silence
where more is experienced in the common quiet
than in ambitious clanks and rattles
these are the times of leisure
when gold is as useless as tinsel
and meaning is a deep treasure
that cannot be measured
but is like a banquet shared among people
who know silence.
People who have come to live in these shades,
and can recognize the textures
of silence
People who have worshipped
and have stirred devotion in the tender fleeting moments
of silence
People who have drunk deep of her wine
and share heart to heart within the shades
of silence
Yes, the only proper place for love is silence.
Thank you Ian! I am sitting in silence here and it has been moving.
Wonderful! As I read thIs post, the metaphor of Silent Music resounds.