Into Quiet

Some days we need to get quiet
The kind of quiet that lays out the canvas
For all the myriad of thoughts to come
Marching, splattering, clattering in.

We might wonder, in the thick of it,
How does this noisy stillness bring me any closer to peace—
To that the radiant light that unwaveringly
Illuminates within?

As we sit, walk, dance through
the chattering, bumbling tumble,
At some point we may realize:
I am the one holding the string to all these
Clutter-some thoughts

Then we might look out,
Seeing our hand reaching up,
Grasping the strings.

We trace the line down our arm,
Continuing until we reach the self
And what a surprise this next part can be!

At first it seems plain,
Of course, it’s me who clutches these ideas,
This scatter of matters that I have used
To get around from here to there.
But then you look further.

The one who holds the strings is not exactly the same
As the One who watches this whole thing play out.
More and more you find yourself as the One who observes,
Aware of all the movement, now like a symphony

And then at this point, a new quiet comes along
You can see what’s going on…

And maybe, a wave of a deeper fragrance of peace
Seeps in.

By Sarah Hodges