Silence is the setting for our thinking
A seedbed for the word of God to grow
A reception room to welcome any guest
A quiet chamber where I come to know
How quiet and how peaceful is the world
When I unplug all my technology
The silence of the street in early morning
The whisper of the wind through every tree
The chatter of the birds as dawn is breaking
The stealth of silent cats upon the prowl
The ripple of the river water lapping
The stilly observation of an owl
At dawn the Lord retreated to the mountain
A quiet place where he could sit and pray
For guidance on the road that he was taking
For strength to face a foe and face the day
My seminary days were full of silence
Too much I’d say too much of a good thing
When human conversation would have guided me
To join a wider world and everything
The silence of the heart is much neglected
We fear to find a nothingness inside
But the Spirit of the Lord is there before us
Waiting for our fears now to subside
I take delight in silence now for thinking
And for talking to the Lord now every day
And for poetry and for poem making
Like a potter pottering with clay
Silence is the music of the ages
Inviting notes and sounds to fill the air
Dissolving them in peaceful contemplation
To stillness and to quiet everywhere
Brian Fahy
10 May 2021
Erris Poetry 