The Little Sound

ByShae

 

Be a person here. Stand by the river, invoke

the owls. Invoke winter, then spring.

Let any season that wants to come here make its own

call. After that sound goes away, wait.

 

A slow bubble rises through the earth

and begins to include sky, stars, all space,

even the outracing, expanding thought.

Come back and hear the little sound again.

 

Suddenly this dream you are having matches

everyone’s dream, and the result is the world.

If a different call came there wouldn’t be any

world, or you, or the river, or the owls calling.

 

How you stand here is important. How you

listen for the next thing to happen. How you breathe.

 

~ thank you, William Stafford (“Being a Person”)

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9 Comments

  4. It is late and I am tired. I was looking for something new and different to add to a weekend review I post for our readers every Saturday. Your Blog title hooked me. I think it is especially interesting that even as you realized your writing was headed in a direction that was not quite what you had planned, the title is perfect because it represents the essence that was there all along. Will return with great pleasure, as will many of our readers I am sure. Have a good weekend.

    1. Thank you! And I so appreciate that you see the way the meandering and sometimes surprising path has its own integrity. It’s a lesson I need to learn and re-learn. :-)

  5. Dear Shae —

    I just discovered Hitchhking today when I went to the Web in search of a good apricot jam recipe. I can see that I have hours of splendid browsing ahead of me.

    But I wanted to thank you in particular for posting the William Stafford poem. In a period of bereavement, it was just what I needed today. Blessings and peace,

    Jarrett
    PS Owls are a personal totem so that made it even sweeter.

    1. Jarrett, thank you so much for taking the time to write this note. I find this poem to be a comfort, also. Best you you!

  6. My favorite way to eat apricots are either dried or in homemade fried pies

    My grandmother had an apricot tree and in the summer she and my mother would can apricot preserves. This could then be used in various recipes including homemade fried pies (truly yummy!)

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