Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered
the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but
the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
I Kings 19:11-12
Gather any
group
together in
silence
and before
you know it
bodies will
start talking.
The strange,
“gallump”
of a
stomach, not hungry,
but vocal.
The clicking
of an ankle
every time
he takes a step.
Or share a
meal ,
break bread,
in the
absence of words
and notice
how a swallow sounds
and the
great,
grinding
work of teeth.
In the
volume of everyday
we hear
nothing
above the
roar
save the
most incessant shouts
of “More!”
and “Comfort, now!”
But, in the
absence of noise,
our bodies whisper,
“Live!
Breathe!”
and we are
tuned to their
subtle motions.
Linking with dVerse Poets Pub and Love Dare.
nice…love the contrast between what we hear and what our bodies are felling us…comfort versus living…i def would rather live…
Thanks, Brian.
Beautiful poetry with a important message to listen and slow down in this crazy world. I found inspiration in your words.
Thanks Linda, I'm glad it moved you, and so glad to see you "following" the blog.
I have noticed myself and others breathing shallow breaths. Yes, we need to breathe, deep and long and listen to the filling, release the tension and live.
Thanks Dea. Yes, I'm a shallow breather too, so I end up sighing a lot to make up for it!
oh my, my. it has been far too long since i've been here.
love these words, Kelly. and boy oh boy do i get it.
i think my favorite thing about the way you write is that you give us permission to *notice* the magic and the mystery of life all around us. that is a gift. thank you.
So true… We forget to listen to life so often, and there is so much to hear when we do.
Dear Kelly
What wisdom! Oh, that we would truly know the futility of striving to attain the world's standards!
Thanks for a beautiful poem.
Blessings from Emily's
Mia
The mysteries of life and living, captured. "the great,
grinding work of teeth": love it. Thank you.