silver stillness

It was stated by Meister Eckhart......"no one knows what the soul is. But, what we do know is the soul is where God works compassion...." I'm wondering if our deepest compassion for recognizing and accepting our imperfections as well as those in others can only truly happen when we find the courage to peel away the layers of silence, past the point of the loud pings and into the sanctity of a reflecting hymn......maybe that's where the soul dwells?

Silence has many layered meanings before we can reach what John O'Donahue described as the intimate innocence of the soul. I envision this as an internal place where an eternal moonlight shimmers smiling ripples on the surface of a calm lake on a summer night. Meditation needs no encouragement when we can reach this place of tranquility. It simply happens, captured in our even breaths of belonging. This vision brings forth a feeling of being in the moment-- restful and awake at the same time.

I believe we have the capacity to lasso this intimate silence where we find the guidance of a Higher power whenever we choose to find the time to peel away the meaningful layers first. I also believe it is an important endeavour as it allows us to sit in a tender place where we can disrobe in front of a mirror which reflects our true essence, bruises and all. It takes courage. It takes time and effort to peel away the layers.....

The outer layer's initial silence shivers in shyness. It has a self-conscious blush to it. We yearn for interuptions....anything to break the awkward adolesence.

The next layer is still trapped in a doubting uneasiness. We are caught thinking......"should I talk to fill in the silence? I wonder what others around me are thinking in their silence? What can I think of to fill the discomfort? This silence is so damn loud!"

ping,ping,ping,ping,ding,ding,ring,ring,ring

The third layer is a stepping away from the noise, though it can be heard in the murmuring echoes. This silence is where stillness begins, in the drumming of reflections. Every now and then we can hear the pongbong of the reflection, like a stone thrown into a pond. Ease is coming......the stone has to settle........the stone has to settle.... the senses heighten and turn inward.

The fourth layer of silence is found in the lapping of the ripples under the eternal moonlight. We envision a mesmerizing rippling on the surface as the eyes gaze inside the deep welling place. It is there where a sense of vulnerable brokenness finds some comfort. It is where you feel the most honest and strong while looking at the shadowy reflections of life’s realities.

The fifth layer brings a harmonic meditation........a kneeling thinness of even breathing, where palpitations are replaced by cradle comfort rocking to a welcoming hymnal hum. Standing on the shore, under the moonlight smiling shimmers, compassion in the silver stillness of our souls offers us the gift of seeing the beauty of our imperfections....our unique signature written in the sand. It's worth the trip.

**the photos of the silver pieces were taken at an auction I attended with my friend Jen last week. When I looked at them afterwards, the phrase silver stillness came to mind.....

This weeks' Photography theme is "Reflection...." no drab there! For more reflections check out Carmi's Written Inc site.