And in the naked light I saw – Ten thousand people, maybe more – People talking without speaking – People hearing without listening – People writing songs that voices never share – And no one dared – Disturb the sound of silence. Sounds of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
Hmmm, I happened upon a Cicada today resting uncharacteristically on the ground. Why, I wondered, had it ventured down from its normal roost high in the trees? As I bent down to snap its picture, it let out a brief hiss.
You may not ever have seen a Cicada but you most certainly have heard them. Their electric buzz from above is a staple in nature’s summer symphony. There is something quite soothing and reassuring in their vibrating murmur.
We live in a very noisy and sometimes deafening world. The constant, throaty drone of traffic. Honking horns like clanging cymbals. Radios cranked up to the max thrusting the latest hit songs out the window. People talking, laughing, shouting, screaming, cursing and crying at what seems like an ever increasing volume.
As a species, we are very, very adept at making noise. I am inclined to believe that many of us crank up the decibels because – as Paul Simon so poetically expressed – we are afraid of the sound of silence.
Silence seems to strip away all our masks, all our excuses and all our rationalizations. In the deafening din of silence, truth knells with awesome clarity. Our deepest, darkest secrets speak themselves and we have no choice but to listen.
The Cicada that left its treetop perch may just be a random act of metaphor to remind us that the sound of silence can also feed our soul. The murmur of truth can be liberating. We really ought to seek it out more often.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.
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Tags: Cicada · metaphor · Michael Dyet · Simon & Garfunkel · sounds of silenceNo Comments