Imperfect Silence

I seek silence

Absence

A void into which I can retreat

Away from the noise of the world

But what is silence

What is it that I seek

Something

Or nothing

Where is this perfect place

That will embrace my soul

I venture to the woods at dusk

High above the lake

I sit

I close my eyes

I feel the last rays of the sun on my face

And I try not to listen

For even here

Silence is absent

The dove's rhythmic coo

An audible pulse

The quiet of the summer stream

Seeks my ears

The whisper of the wind

Rises and falls

In league with the trees

Their rustling leaves

To keep me from my void

And then I understand

This is silence

It is Brahmen

The soul of the Earth

As living as you or I

I allow it entry

Listen to its breath

Its message

Its story

And I am at peace

In the world's imperfect silence