Silence

I remember the time I read "Murke's Collected Silences" by Heinrich Böll for my Literature class (my professor required us to read awesome works like it). Set in the background of post-World War II, Germany, the protagonist, Murke is a young man who works in a radio station and exhibits strange habits. First, his morning begins with riding the lift all the way up to the highest floor of the company building and down to the floor where his office is located. Second, is his fondness of collecting snippets of silence from recorded tapes, thus the title. "When I have to cut tapes, in the places where the speakers sometimes pause for a moment—or sigh, or take a breath, or there is absolute silence—I don't throw that away. I collect it." He then splices it together to form recorded silence. Third, he listens to it at night in his home as a sort of relaxing meditation.

Being the history geek of World War II that I am, I found this to be very interesting for a number of reasons. One, of course, is that the author wrote this in the context of Germany after it occurred. Another reason was that, anyone, excluding my family, knows me as the silent one and this story shows one who collects silences. I would probably contribute a lot to his collection then! Lol. 

Anyways, I read a poem recently, and it reminded me of Murke and silence:

The Quiet World

BY Jeffrey McDaniel

In an effort to get people to look

into each other’s eyes more,

and also to appease the mutes,

the government has decided

to allot each person exactly one hundred   

and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it to my ear   

without saying hello. In the restaurant   

I point at chicken noodle soup.

I am adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long distance lover,   

proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.   

I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn’t respond,

I know she’s used up all her words,   

so I slowly whisper I love you

thirty-two and a third times.

After that, we just sit on the line   

and listen to each other breathe.

Jeffrey McDaniel, “The Quiet World” from The Forgiveness Parade. Copyright © 1998 by Jeffrey McDaniel. Reprinted with the permission of Manic D Press.

I believe silence is powerful. Sometimes, it can be the sound that is deafening the most. Sometimes, it is the most pleasant to the ears. 

...

faith

Picture not mine.