
We know that silence is for the soul,
replenishing what’s extracted
in the grind of daily living
that meditation calms the body
as well as the mind
but
do we realize silence
is a form of listening
a sacred gift, an offering
of ourselves to others, yes,
and also to ourselves
For I find myself
slipping into hidden cracks
of my existence
over and over
just to listen
Rooster crowing while it is yet dark
and all the day long
tinged with urgent longing
not altogether of this earth
Wind in the chimes, unseen fingers at play,
the invisible howling creature under the eaves
out of pain now, and at rest
Listen
birds
Children reading, hesitant, halting
a pump handle scraping until
—there now, there now, there’s the flow
The muted beat of drums, upstairs
my boy recording a song
both melody and harmony,
the rhythms of his heart
translated to keys and strings
same as I translate rhythms
of words to page
Listen
The timbre of voices long-loved
each like a blanket
for wrapping around
and resting within
Listen
Deep in angry torrents
born from undercurrents
surging over
razor-edged
ice-hot stones
of fear and pain
—there, the slashed heart cries
unassuaged
unabated
just love me
while in the sky
geese
House popping and cracking
yawning, stretching
settling back to sap-drenched dreams
of branches and green
much like me, holding a shell to my ear,
seeking the ocean
not necessarily one of this earth
but the sea-response
of my own brain,
echoing
resounding
reverberating
against my soul
Listen
may well be
the holiest of words.
*******
Photo: Listen. Rick and Brenda Beerhorst. CC BY
I enjoy that “Blessed are those who actually listen” photo. I also used it last November to accompany a pantoum poem: The sound of gratitude.
The annual Slice of Life Story Challenge with Two Writing Teachers is underway, meaning that I am posting every day in the month of March. This marks my fifth consecutive year and I’m experimenting with an abecedarian approach: On Day 12, I am writing around a word beginning with letter l.

Also shared with the Poetry Friday gathering – many thanks to Heidi for hosting the Roundup.
