Surrounded by silence I sit alone
Forgotten flower stems stand
like toy sentinels round the seat.
The autumn leaves fall softly to the ground
A golden carpet round my feet.

Into the morning's quietness comes
the first call of a bird.
I listen carefully as it cuts the silence
the purest sound I ever heard.

The dawn is a quiet time-
a time of innocence and gentle thoughts.
Music is made alive by the silence
that surrounds the notes.

Now the rain begins to fall,
the leaves skip and dance in the breeze.
Soon the sun returns
and on the woodland floor creates
mosaic patterns through the trees.

Getting up to go, I silently give thanks
for an unseen order that co-exists with all things.
The moment has passed -the day has changed.
Having listened to the shape of silence
I became aware of the gift it brings.

Daphne Flannery
From an Anthology of Poems by South Dublin writers.