The Silence and the Song

It is snowing today.  One of my favorite things about the snow is the way it muffles all sound.  I love to go out walking during the storm to feel enveloped, snuggled even by the lack of sound.  In a life full of so many voices clamoring for our attention, how rich it feels to be alone with the wonder of snow.

I came across this poetry by Mark Patterson recently.  The music to which it is set is equally lovely and you can hear it here.  It expresses beautifully how enriched our lives are because of the silent times which make our life-song so much more vibrant.

The Silence and the Song

How bright the morning that warms the afternoon.

How rich the evening whose cloak reveals the moon.

How pure the darkness that greets the breaking dawn.

How sweet the silence just before the song.

In winter’s stillness the dance of spring begins.

In summer’s twilight the autumn breeze blows in.

To ev’ry season both peace and pulse belong

So bound together, the silence and the song.

Before the tender lullaby can soothe us with its sound,

Before the finest symphony can swell with notes profound

The silence must resound, the silence must resound.

And so we listen in moments clear and calm

To hear, with wonder the quiet strains prolong.

So when we sing with voices pure and strong

Both gifts surround us: the silence and the song.