I dare not breathe
lest I disturb the fragile silence
cradling the whisper
of butterfly wings
and the caress of breeze
on the water.
I tread gently
lest I break the silence
that lets the squirrels out of their nest
to play in the woods
or a deer to linger
at the forest’s edge.
I rein in my thoughts
so I could dive and listen
to that silence
that blends together
the rustle of leaves
the splash on the water
the flap of wings
the sigh of an opening flower
birdcalls and heartbeats
a prayer
into one glorious symphony.
The pictures are from a rural part of Maine. One afternoon, after walking our dog, my husband said that a beaver was building a dam in the swamp that has been flooded by the incessant rains. I have gone to the swamp twice since then but failed to see the beaver in both occasions. On the other hand, I enjoyed the sounds of the woods immensely.
Written for DVERSE’s Poetics prompt: On Wandering and Observing
Ah, the symphony of silence is so resplendent — I understand why you wouldn’t want to disturb it at all. These walks provide such a sense of calm as well as grounding us with who we are and where we belong. I love “the caress of breeze/on the water”. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback and the kind words. 🙂
What a beautiful walk Imelda, you took us there with you through your peaceful words and images xxx
Thanks, Xania. Happy week to you. 🙂
a beautiful place
i’m happy to experience 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed that. Thanks for coming by. 🙂
Beautifully written
Thanks. 🙂
Such a lovely piece to compliment the picture! That road looks quite like some of the roads in the woods around me!
Thanks, Jaya. I think roads like those are lovely and hold a lot of promise.
Always adventure!
A cornucopia of sound and silence… excellent Imelda!
Thanks, Rob. 🙂
How lovely – the silence and the sounds. Beautifully atmospheric.
Thanks, Sarah. 🙂
Love such a silence (that is not really silent)… wonderful walk.
This whole poem and the photos are beautiful. My favorite lines are: the fragile silence / cradling the whisper / of butterfly wings. That is so descriptive I can almost ‘hear’ that silence.
Thanks, LuAnne. 🙂
Glorious.
Thank you. 🙂
Pleasure
You are an amazing poet .Promise to never stop ?
Aw. Thank you very much. 🙂