|
The Voice of Silence
In this moment
time stands still.
Mystery speaks
without
words
Heart to heart
Breath to breathe
Soul to soul
Love unfolds
without
words
The idea of looking at photographs, fine art or
listening to music and then writing about what it
touches within, is something that I have long enjoyed
experimenting with.
A friend of mine brought a box of pictures for
some of us writers to look through and use as inspiration.
One picture, "the boy and the deer" touched
me deeply. I, at first, was not sure how my inner
world interpreted this photograph. I do know that
some part of me fell in love, returning many times
to find it's mysterious message. Finally the picture
sent me on an inward journey to the place of reconnecting
with what I refer to as the innocent self.
The world events of the recent past have left me
thinking about our present day world. One thing
for sure is true, life is an uncertain contract.
We never quite know what to expect until it happens.
At one pole of the experience is uncertainty and
surprise, at the other end lives the vibrations
of energy we know as fearful anxiety.
The picture of the boy and deer falls into the
category of uncertainty and surprise.
Both the animal and child are experiencing a moment
of mystery. The meaning that has come out of this
picture for me over these months has been the thought
that, in a world filled with chaos, there is a need
to journey within to find the place of peace; a
place that children and animals understand.
The return to innocence does not imply going backwards,
ignoring knowledge and life experience. Instead
it calls for taking our wisdom with us, opening
ourselves up to the possibility of unexpected moments
of surprise. From this place of acceptance, we re-experience
life. Our world does not have to make sense and
at times it makes no sense, it just is.
In Victor E. Frankl's book Man's Search For Meaning,
he states "Everything can be taken from a man
but the last of the human freedoms to choose one's
attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose
one's own way." His quote is taken from his
thoughts and feelings as he describes to his reader
life in a concentration camp. He refers in the book
to the taking of time to find moments of self. Like
enjoying a sunset, a bird and "affectionately
waiting" for another person. Without using
the same words Victor Frankl describes his inner
journey to an innocent place in the midst of life
threatening and inhuman circumstance.
In my own search for the meaning I have run away
from the part of me that longs for innocence. I
have feared that in this place I would be ignorant.
I have come to learn that it is just the opposite
- in my place of thinking too much, I am led to
the pole of fear and anxiety. Once there, all wisdom
is left behind and I am in survival mode. The innocent
self is the one who brings me home to my inner truth.
Taking time each day to return to gentle thoughts
is wise beyond measure. For in this simple place
we can recharge and return to our outer world filled
with enough energy to build community, effect change,
maintain hope and share courage.
I share this picture of the deer and boy with you,
along with the interpretation of my feelings about
the picture. You might also spend some time with
this boy and deer. Perhaps you have another feeling
about the picture that will emerge over time. There
maybe a story without words within you for your
own self-discovery.
|
