Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

  • Home
  • About
  • DISCLOSURES
    • Amazon Affiliate
    • Book Reviews
  • Published
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Commit Poetry
    • Dared

Window on Writing: The Sounds of Silence

February 23, 2011 By Sandra Heska King

Deeply listening to what is within and around us changes us. ~John Fox

I’ve tried to write to the sound of music.

It doesn’t work for me.

I create better in silence.

Although there really isn’t such a thing.

It’s when I’m silent that I hear the sounds of silence.

Silence makes you attentive to the tiniest sound underfoot, helps you hear the pulse of your heart . . . If God were to show up and speak, like he did to Elijah after the wind died down and the silence ensued, you might have a chance to hear God’s voice. Unfortunately, we’re culturally primed to avoid silence. ~L.L. Barkat in God in the Yard, p. 82-83

When I’m silent, I hear things like:

  • The pit-pit-pit-pitta-pit-pit-pit of ice melting from the eaves.
  • The song of the chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee.
  • The distant whoosh of traffic like wind through trees across a mountain peak.
  • The rumble of a tractor pulling a load of firewood.
  • A nearby CAW-CAW.
  • The creak-creak of the vinyl-covered porch ceiling.
  • The slurp of steaming tea.
  • A rooster’s crow.
  • The flutter of birds’ wings as they come and go from the feeders.
  • The hum of the fridge and the whir of the wood stove fan.

And I’m attuned to my heart thumps, the scent of hyacinth and wood smoke, the way the light dances on snow peppered with sunflower seed hulls.

You can tell when a poet has been a good listener, because the poem is more likely to capture the essence of a thing, more likely to reproduce its voice and the heart of its rhythms . . . ~L.L. Barkat in God in the Yard, p. 84.

Playing with poetry helps me practice writing tight.

But I have to be still with heart tuned.

What David pulled from the depths of his soul on silent nights, are poetic truths so raw, ebullient, furious, and sorrowful, that we can taste the truth of his experience. ~L.L. Barkat in God in the Yard, p. 86

Listen to the sounds of morning silence using all five senses, L.L. suggests. Then write down what you hear and put it together into a simple poem. Don’t worry about form or meaning.

So I gave it a try with what I listed above.

Breakfast is Served

Sun spreads

golden on

table white

chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee

seeds, please

flutter, flop, chirp, nod

melodies in surround sound

breath mingles

with steam of tea

the gang’s all here

breakfast is served

on a sunflower

morning.

Do you create better in silence or noise?

If you write mostly prose, have you tried writing poetry?

God murmurs in the silence of unexpected places. Poetry can be one of those places. ~L.L. Barkat


Share this:

  • Email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: poetry, stories and reflections, writing

Comments

  1. Keli Gwyn says

    February 24, 2011 at 1:21 am

    I listen to classical music while writing my inspirational historical romances. The composers’ pieces transport me to the past.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2011 at 10:30 am

      Good point, Keli! I know a lot of writers listen to great movie scores, too. Sometimes I tend to get lost in the music. Maybe I need to immerse myself in it before I write to get in the mood.

  2. Cassandra Frear says

    February 24, 2011 at 8:42 am

    Love the little poem at the end.

    Interesting thought that writing poetry lets you practice writing tight.

    We fed the birds and counted species for Cornell’s Project Feederwatch in Pennsylvania for nine years.

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2011 at 10:32 am

      I saw bluebirds again the other day! I didn’t think they were here in the winter. And I’m sure the blackbird had red wings. He left before I could focus the camera. They usually come with the robins.

      And with poetry–you can write a little more than a tweet. 😉

  3. Cindee Snider Re says

    February 24, 2011 at 10:03 am

    Sandra, I LOVED this post!! And LOVE the final words of your poem: “breakfast is served on a sunflower morning.” My soul breathed deeply of your words this morning and I’m grateful.

    Cindee

    • Sandra says

      February 24, 2011 at 10:33 am

      Welcome, Cindee! Thanks so much. Grateful for the opportunity to get to know you.

  4. seekingpastor says

    February 24, 2011 at 10:48 am

    I have to get up very early to hear the sounds of silence at my house. But when I do–it is fantastic.

    • Sandra says

      February 27, 2011 at 1:10 pm

      Those early, early mornings can be such a blessing.

  5. Carol J. Garvin says

    February 24, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    I need silence when I’m writing but sometimes have classical piano playing very quietly while revising. It’s in silence that I communicate best with God because I can hear those “sounds of silence” that make my heart respond.

    Poetry helps me focus on the nucleus of a thought. Some of my preliminary novel notes are even in poetry although those words usually lack the magic of your kind of poems. I’m not a real poet, or even a big fan of poetry in general, but I love playing with words that ‘cut to the chase’.

    • Sandra says

      February 27, 2011 at 1:12 pm

      Love classical piano. And harp music. So soothing.

      Words are so much fun. 🙂

  6. L.L. Barkat says

    February 24, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    This is so marvelous. I do believe the silence has been speaking into your writing. More and more and more.

    The poem is delightful. 🙂

    • Sandra says

      February 27, 2011 at 1:12 pm

      🙂

  7. nance marie says

    February 24, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    it depends on what is being created.
    but, mainly i like quiet, especially when it involves writing words.

    moods of music come once in awhile, and the music has to fit into what
    my mind will like.

    there is a lot of music that my mind and nerves won’t put up with now.
    but, there is some that fits just right at the right time.

    as i get older, quite becomes more of a friend.

  8. Sandra says

    February 27, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Yes, I think I appreciate–and need–the silence more these days.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Meet Sandra

I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

Get updates from the stillness by email

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Archives

Categories

Instagram Inspiration

sandraheskaking

Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours. Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours.
Just another backyard photo… Just another backyard photo…
From my backyard tonight. From my backyard tonight.
Just another sunset. Just another sunset.
“I would like people to remember of me, how inex “I would like people to remember of me, how inexhaustible was her mindfulness.” ~ Mary Oliver in “ A Little Ado About This and That.”
Current situation. Current situation.
“This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” “This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” ~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson in “Ode to a Butterfly”
🦋
We pulled all the milkweed because it just could not support all the caterpillars. They were eating it bare and most of them died because they ran out of food. This one butterfly found this one lone volunteer.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright futur "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." ~ E.B. White (as quoted on today's page in my Franklin Planner)
"May you experience each day as a sacred gift wove "May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder." ~ John O'Donohue in "For Presence" from To Bless the Space Between Us
🌴
Tri-colored heron stalking breakfast in my backyard.
“. . neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes “. .  neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes. They are moving in a week. They say a family from Belarus bought the house. I hope they don’t care much for mangoes.”
**
“Beautiful Sweet Things” at https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/
"People do not grow old. When they cease to grow t "People do not grow old. When they cease to grow they become old.” ~ Emerson

It's been a while since I've written anything on my blog. Like 3 years. But I just wrote my first post on Substack. Come see?

https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/p/ten-years-ten-things
Spent a couple hours this morning with friends fro Spent a couple hours this morning with friends from @spanishriverchurch picking up beach trash. Little bits of colored and clear plastic, big bits of plastic, bottle caps, broken glass, strings, ropes, straws, socks, fast food containers, paper, cigarette holders and filters—and a couple unmentionables. Took extra care around the turtle nests. Last count was about 70 pounds, but there were also some bigger things like an abandoned chair and a plastic tent. And a big piece of burlap or something with a fishing lure and giant hook attached. D found a Macy’s gift card that he almost tossed in his bucket. But we brought it home to check the balance—$24.60! We should be able to turn that into something useful for someone. 😊
H Already dead, I am living my afterlife here in t H
Already dead, I am
living my afterlife
here
in the form of a human.
~ Xueyan from Time Peels All to Original White

Thanks to @tspoetry for introducing me to this beautiful collection via an Every Day Poems selection.
The cats attacked the window all night. The dog wo The cats attacked the window all night. The dog woofed all night. This morning we discovered the would-be burglar imprisoned between the screen and the glass on our bedroom slider. 

When I stepped out to release it (no bail), I was surprised by this brief bit of backyard beauty.
For most of us, knowledge of our world comes large For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" ~ Rachel Carson in The Sense of Wonder
#prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michigan #prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michiganstateuniversity
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faith Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:1
A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana in the background until I downloaded the photos. That, I believe, is the one that got caught in one of the openings in the neighbor's chain link fence. We tried in several (safe) ways to dislodge it without luck and could think of no other option but to leave it. Somehow it apparently dislodged itself. We also believe this is the pair that was getting into another neighbor's garden. We haven't seen either one since the last cold snap, so we are wondering if they survived. 
🌱
Thinking some may have tumbled from their perches last night. Pretty sure it will be raining iguanas tonight since we are under a frost advisory. It's cold. And windy.
Just sing... sing a song... Singing our way into Just sing... sing a song... 

Singing our way into the weekend.
"We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramse "We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramsey in Rembrandt is in the Wind
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Get the Mug

Embrace the life you have t s poetry mug

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy is available HERE.

I Read Light

TSP-Red button

bibledude-net



Sponsor a Child

Join the Compassion Blogger Network

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 Sandra Heska King · Site by The Willingham Enterprise, LLC on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Log in