‘A song of silence’ a poem by Dr Ananta Dave…
‘Around me,
between the dialling of 999
and the hoarse, laboured breaths,
The blare of a siren
And the chugging of an engine,
Between the laughter of togetherness
And the sighs of relief,
The anguished cries of the bereft
And the triumphant roar of the heedless.
And far away,
Between the rippling of the river
And the ebbing of the tide,
Between the lowing of the cows
And the mewling of the lambs,
The cackling of the geese
And the cawing of the gulls,
There’s a silence
Which helps me listen,
To those around me
My loved ones,
And to those unknown and unloved too.
Helps me listen to my soul,
While a song unfurls in tiny whispers
Trying to form a melody
Weaving together
Harmonious notes of courage, honesty
Generosity & hope,
Rising above discordant notes of fear, uncertainty, hesitancy & despair.
While the hand jabs
And the limbs seize,
While a bed becomes available
And a ventilator starts beeping,
Between a new variant
And a Race report.
Between a breath squeezing hug
And a breath-taking virus,
Between lungfuls of air
And gasping for breath,
Between a pyre being lit
And hope being extinguished
Amidst the splendour of the rising sun
And the storminess of the clouds
While the wind gusts
And the tide ebbs,
While the sun sets
And the moon glows,
In that heartbeat of time
There’s a stillness.
Which helps me
Breathe life into something new
Which helps me walk
In my mind’s lanes
To forge a path
Towards truth & understanding,
Gratitude & courage,
To be me; all of me
So I can help others be all of them.’
Ananta Dave
6.6.21