I talk too much
this much I know
which means
I usually forget
to listen
to the beauty
of the silence
and knowing you're there
beside me
to hold me
to the words you speak
without a voice
the look
the touch
the yearning
to know you're with me
no matter where
you surround me here
You, whom I love
remind me sometimes
of the intoxication
of the sacred silence
between us
3 comments:
Sometimes, a look, a touch, say more than words ever could.
Sacred Silence is a great concept. There's a wonderful story in Craig Barnes' Book "Sacred Thirst," where he talks about the power of the sacred silence.
The story is of a funeral he had to officiate of a woman who died far too young and left little children behind. During the service one of the children stepped to the microphone and read a letter he had written to his mommy saying goodbye. I won't quote it here because as a father it still makes me cry when I think about it and my wife and children are all alive and well.
At any rate, Pastor Barnes had to follow that.
He says that he couldn't. He just sat there and let the silence of the room hold for a while. Then he stepped to the pulpit and delivered a modest benediction.
Afterward, the young woman's mother thanked him for a beautiful service. His first response was, "but I didn't say anything," and then he thought about what she meant.
We're not conditioned to like silence. It feels ominous.
But I've come to realize something recently. My current group of friends are all more or less in the same economic strata with the same number and age of kids. Crisis comes fast and hard and there's often very little I can do to help and very little they can do to help me.
But in an era where time is the most valuable currency, the gift of a silent listening ear for as long as they need to talk is a powerful ointment.
A sacred silence; a good concept.
Indescribable. You've blown my mind once again. This poem is so incredible. It actually made me take time, stop, and listen. Only in silence can the most important words finally be heard.
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