There is something sacred in silence
I don’t choose it
Yet it exists around me
Unknowingly in its absence
I find myself looking for the unintrusive inadvertent friend
A place of unconditional expectation
A welcoming warmth
An imprint of a leaf on the sidewalk in Autumn
Only in its absence do I miss the rich wisdom of its quiet whispers
An exposed hand pulled from a glove in the winter time
The absence of silence is a vulnerable place
Fatigued by the noise that mutes my old acquaintance
I realize the vacancy
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May I welcome you once again
~Jason Hammack
What inspired this Poem?
About a year ago my Dad came down from Yuma, Az to visit. I am not sure how long my dad stayed with me, maybe a couple?weeks. During this time was the birth of this poem.
I live alone in a two-bedroom apartment. I work more than 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and I don’t have much spare time. I wake up Monday through Friday around 4 am to prepare for my day. I journal and meditate most mornings before I?leave the house. I have been practicing meditation for about a year when this poem started stirring. I don’t turn my TV on much so there is a lot of quiet times at my apartment.
My Dad visits two to three times a year so it is not unusual?to have my dad at my house visiting. When my dad is here there many stories shared and lots of good conversations and variety?of different topics. My dad likes to have the TV on while he is at home, he likes to watch NASCAR and few other things on TV. Like my mom, the TV keeps their mind off things.
When my Dad left to go back home the following days after I became very aware of the silence that was present. I started to see that being alone wasn’t something I tried to avoid any more. In fact, the meditation that I had been practicing had slowly introduced me to the silence without me realizing it. I was finding there was something sacred in the silence.
I can't hear you?