Silence- The Nearest Thing To God Comments
When your racehorse mind is running around the track,
and your body feels like a heavy sack,
go inside yourself
and find a soft armchair,
...
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A wonderful write, dear poetess. The picture here depicts peace in abundance. Thank you! !
Another lovely poem with a beautiful picture. I love the word 'silent' as it contains the letters 'listen'. When we are truly silent we can truly listen.
How beautiful that you saw that Simone. We have to listen before we can hear the silence.
Calming write. Quietly descending on the reader's mind as a gentle morning after a wakeful night. A10
That is a beautiful and pure painting that accompanies this poem. That solitary tree seems to be in deep rapport with cloud overhead. // This poem conveys an ultimate kind of advice because if it is ignored, what is left? So many good things that can rescue us would be squandered, especially the association of God and silence, an opening to the healing forces that shy away from a mind filled with material things. Wallace Stevens wrote in one of his last poems, GOD AND THE IMAGINATION ARE ONE, just as in your poem GOD AND SILENCE ARE ONE. We need a meeting place where our human and divine energies can mesh, as in the painting you chose. That could be sacred ground if we made it so. We need that kind of uncompromising faith
My brother James painting Daniel he is a wonderful artist. Yes I agree Daniel. I love silence for silence sake but I also feel most poets need silence and space for the creative juices to flow. Maybe some don't? I'm curious about that. When the mind is full it seems like there is no space for anything new to move through.
I am so glad that Kumarmai read this poem. Referring to it as a gem. Funny how most people run toward the noise of distraction to avoid themselves and to be lost in anything that makes them forget. We can't hide from ourselves. No matter how fast we run. I was speaking to someone recently and she was saying how wonderful it was when one weekend her husband and the kids were gone and she had the time to herself. She had this glow remembering how delicious that rare solitude was. She did not want the escape of a bar or casino. She wanted the weight of life to just be lifted. That sack she carried dumped in the corner at last. Freeing herself from herself and just being................a gem indeed.
Why should it be anything other than perfect that you should be so blessed to be who you are. Anything less would be too depressing to contemplate.The world around you is inhabited by people with their version of reality molding their actions. The culture is a thing to treat with humor and an easy skepticism. You had copious amounts out of choice. Some would find that the worst kind of punishment. To be with oneself? God forbid! I don't need to tell you to count your blessing. They are all well accounted for and the stars have felt your wish upon them my old friend. Solitude is an easy hammock. Tethered to the past and future.
I is a marvellous spiritual poem with high imagination. Yes dear Norah, when a horse runs around the track, the body and mind of the rider too run with it. It brings anxiety but when we keep silence we get peace and become nearer to God. Thank u for posting such a gem.
I agree Kumarmani and love how you describe this it's so true. When my mind gets overactive I find my body gets wore out and tired also, but when my mind is still even the body feels more alive. I love Silence but one can have exterior silence and be totally lost in the chattering mind. As you well know It's inner silence that brings peace then we can find God everywhere. Thank you Kumarmani
We need the racehorse to initiate the idea but it is the deep reflection which allows the poem to take shape. My method is to scribble down the odd phrase or image and then allow it to ferment, sometimes for days. Your poem captures this process for me perfectly. Looks like another Norah poem in my favourites' list.
Yes Tom I hear you. I thought the ending to the poem was weak and did not flow so well but because I wanted to put the line Silence the nearest thing to God in the poem I left it in. Yes the racehorse mind was just to initiate the idea, the poem was more about resting in the deep stillness our true nature. Thanks Tom always a delight to hear from you.
Good advice Well written, simple but with enough spice for silent thought Poetry is so far reaching it never stops amazing me, calming me, pleasing me. Good job, Norah
Norah, for a life lesson poem this isn't bad. I like that armchair inside the mind. If you have time, check out my new website: jeffersoncarterverse.com Tell me how you like it, and, if you do, perhaps share it with interested friends. Thanks! Yrs, JC
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7/19/2025 3:37:22 PM # 1.0.0
What a beautiful and calming poem. Silence is a gift, peace is within us if we allow ourselves to rest.