silence

Silence ~ A Poem by Laurence Dunbar

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Silence Beyond Words: Discovering the Depth of Connection

Sometimes the loudest truths are spoken in complete quiet—if we are willing to listen.

Silence

Paul Laurence Dunbar

‘T is better to sit here beside the sea,
    Here on the spray-kissed beach,
  In silence, that between such friends as we
    Is full of deepest speech.

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Reflection

There is a kind of friendship and presence that does not need words. Dunbar reminds us that silence, when shared with someone who truly knows us, becomes a language of its own—one that holds memory, compassion, and understanding without uttering a single sentence. To sit beside the sea is to recognize how connection can expand beyond sound. The waves speak; so does the simple act of being together. In a noisy world that demands constant expression, this poem challenges us to honor the quiet and allow it to speak through our hearts.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

What relationship in your life feels strong even when no words are shared?

In Silence ~ A Poem by Thomas Merton

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Thomas Merton’s In Silence challenges us to hear the fire within stillness. This hauntingly beautiful poem invites deep reflection on identity, presence, and the mystery of being.. When silence stops being empty and starts asking your name, are you ready to listen?

In Silence

Thomas Merton

Be still.
Listen to the stones of the wall.
Be silent, they try
to speak your

name.
Listen
to the living walls.

Who are you?
Who
are you? Whose
silence are you?

Who (be quiet)
are you (as these stones
are quiet). Do not
think of what you are
still less of
what you may one day be.

Rather
be what you are (but who?)
be the unthinkable one
you do not know.

O be still, while
you are still alive,
and all things live around you

speaking (I do not hear)
to your own being,
speaking by the unknown
that is in you and in themselves.

“I will try, like them
to be my own silence:
and this is difficult. The whole
world is secretly on fire. The stones
burn, even the stones they burn me.
How can a man be still or
listen to all things burning?
How can he dare to sit with them
when all their silence is on fire?”

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Poignant Reflection:

Merton’s poem doesn’t whisper—it smolders. In the stillness he describes, silence isn’t absence but presence, burning with unspoken truth and relentless questioning. To be still, truly still, is to sit with the fire of existence and dare to let it speak your name.

Reflective Questions:

  1. What does it mean to “be your own silence” in a world that constantly demands noise?
  2. Have you ever felt the weight of your own presence in stillness—something unspoken rising from within?
  3. How might the metaphor of fire within silence reshape the way you listen to the world around you?

Healthy Tips: What to Say (and What Not to Say)

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“Discover the dos and don’ts of supporting someone with an eating disorder, with scripts and research-backed strategies that foster trust, not shame. “I wish I looked like you.” “Just eat something.” “You’re too thin.” Words meant to help often sting the most. Learn how to speak supportively—and when silence is the better choice. is the better choice.

It Is Not Enoough ~ Poem by David Whyte

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It is Not Enough

David Whyte

It is not enough to know.
It is not enough to follow
the inward road conversing in secret.

It is not enough to see straight ahead,
to gaze at the unborn
thinking the silence belongs to you.

It is not enough to hear
even the tiniest edge of rain.

You must go to the place
where everything waits,
there, when you finally rest,
even one word will do,
one word or the palm of your hand
turning outward
in the gesture of gift.

And now we are truly afraid
to find the great silence
asking so little.

One word, one word only.

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Reward ~ A Poem by Pat O’Cotter

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Reward

Pat O’Cotter

Out of the silence
I come to you,
Bringing a love
Free as the dew.

I come and sing
A heart’s great love,
And passion of soul
Pure as a dove.

But this I crave
As you pass by–
A smile on your lips,
A light in your eye.

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Today’s Poem: Next Time by Mary Oliver

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Next Time

Mary Oliver

Next time what I’d do is look at
the earth before saying anything. I’d stop
just before going into a house
and be an emperor for a minute
and listen better to the wind
or to the air being still.

When anyone talked to me, whether
blame or praise or just passing time,
I’d watch the face, how the mouth
has to work, and see any strain, any
sign of what lifted the voice.

And for all, I’d know more — the earth
bracing itself and soaring, the air
finding every leaf and feather over
forest and water, and for every person
the body glowing inside the clothes
like a light.

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Silence: A Poem by Hafiz

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Silence

Hafiz

A day of Silence

Can be a pilgrimage in itself.

A day of Silence

Can help you listen

To the Soul play

Its marvelous lute and drum.

Is not most talking

A crazed defense of a crumbling fort?

I thought we came here

To surrender in Silence,

To yield to Light and Happiness,

To Dance within

In celebration of Love’s Victory!

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Photo for Today ~ Be Still

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Poem for Today ~ The Wind

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The Wind

Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies’ skirts across the grass–
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all–
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

 

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Think About It ~ Try Silence

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It’s tough to find a quiet space with so many distractions vying for our attention. When i go to gym or for a walk most people I see have EarPods in their ears. They’re listening to music, podcasts, or speaking on their smartphone. Our brains don’t have a chance to empty and calm down. It may be that we feel uncomfortable with the silence. After all, in the silence we meet ourselves. We discover our thoughts, fears, and hopes. There is someone waiting to meet you. That person will only meet you in the silence. Try silence, I think you’ll discover the wonderful person you are. 

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