The Sound of Silence

It started a week ago. I was talking with a client about the chatter in our minds… suggesting to look for the silence in between thoughts, the pause that inevitably happens… You know, it always happens, one way or another. Even when it is really busy there, we can always look for the pause… and then… maybe The Sound of Silence! Because, of course, there is a sound of silence, and it is absolutely beautiful.

For some reason, I briefly had to run down to the front desk to pick up something (some paper and pen for my client, I think) and we had that synchronicity moment with my colleague… She mentioned that it reminded her of one of Wallace Stevens’ poem. That same night, she posted it on my facebook page. The next morning, I was driving to Berkeley Springs, WV to see clients and see some friends (one of them being very sick) and, in the silence, the words came as a natural flow…

Here they are, speaking of that pause, of that surrender that we can experience any time, and also of the fainting voices… 

 “I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after.”

Wallace Stevens

Silence

That snowy morning

Nothingness

In between the thoughts

That pause

That blank

In my mind

In between breaths

Spaciousness

Driving

Silence in the car

My friend facing her death

No word

How to be with it

Just for now

So many deaths in my life

Memories

Karen’s transition not so long ago

Hearing

Faint Syrian voices

My friend Afra’s quietness “so [she] can hear the stories and all their echoes within”

Her words

Across space and time

Her despair, her courage

Their despair, their courage

My despair

And my courage… at times

Stopping

In the middle of traffic

In between aisles

Grocery shopping

Witnessing

Within

Around

Surrendering

Who am I? Right this instant…

And the sound of silence

Béatrice | Contemporary Shamanic Healer

allowingthelight@gmail.com 

Béatrice Pouligny
Allowing The Light
January / February 2013