The Quiet Man
THE QUINTESSENCE OF QUIETUDE
Stunned by the silence,
awed by the immensity of the surroundings,
with unshed tears of joy,
I know what I am doing &
where I am.
Knowing that my quiet is my
most important & valuable possession,
I revel in my newly-found valley,
enclosed by mountains & grazing-fields,
protected by icy roads, &
Canopied by limitless sky. Am
welcomed by raptors encircling,
challenged by critters burrowing, but
entertained by creatures scurrying –
the eloquence of solitude !
Early-on confused, abused by urban noise;
missing the barely known georgia cotton field
of the barely-known granddaddy once in hand;
yet knowing of all this missing, but
deeply missing something…
I know this: my love for this
bit of land, this northwest earth
I now call “home”,
is firm, is final, is that long-sought-for
missing something…the quintessence of solitude.
With sustained noise, chaos reigns. (1)
Now in solitude – away from the clamor,
the cacophony of teeming masses;
Now in quietude – able to listen, to hear
that missing something…the eloquence of silence.
The most companionable silence… (2)
the ultimate trusting of self, to be alone
with the wind, with the memories,
with newly-found harmony…
& to be a caretaker, preserver, of that silence.
Silence precedes the profound
& attends the emotions; (3)
is beyond the mind, is
rapture, is golden, is
an enchanted place, & (4)
Having left behind the blasts of agitation,
having cast-off such mental chaos,
body & mind rest from wandering, finally,
discovering in the quintessence of silence
harmony’s eloquent hum of quietude…that speaks to me.
(1) okri (2) thoreau (3) melville (4) iyer