The 60-Second Sabbath

silence

  • Digital Silence

    And lo,at noon,digital silencefell across the land–     no phones,    no pods,    no pads,     no tweets,    no posts,    no notifications,    no e-mails,    not a single text– only silence. And in the… Continue reading

  • 5th Ave., February

    New York City,held tonight in winter's fat paws,going nowhere. The lions freeze solidon the library steps. Cats breath rises from street grates,wraps in ice each twig,car antennae,pigeon feather,rat's tail. Text and image © 2014 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading

  • Haiku 2

    silent, dusty roomsphotographs stand sentinelancestors whisper Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.   Continue reading

  • This Quiet

    This quietembraces,wraps me in stillness; in our new spaceI welcome silence,long-lost friend,and hear thingsfor the first time– the metal wall clock that I purchaseda decade agoticks audibly–tick, tick, tick, tick;ten years passedwithout hearingits heartbeat– when the cats pad across the… Continue reading

  • “You Are What You Love”

    Rumi suggests,"You are what you love."What then are you? I am silence.I am friends.I am a photograph    revealing the unexpected.I am a poem    provoking discovery.I am a walk in the woods.I am music.I am wonder.I am God. Text… Continue reading

  • What We Need

    I'll tell you what we need:    more ears    and fewer tongues. My cats will tell us what we need:    more purr    and less hiss. The snow-silenced woodswill tell us what us what we need:    less noise    and more glistening, listening stillness. Christmas tells you what you… Continue reading

  • The Dirt Devil

    Here in the heart of NY's Theater District,across from my hotel,I step into St. Malachy's–"The Actor's Chapel." The massive, open doorsallow in the sound of trafficand a flow of cool, September air. Above me:    stone arches,    hovering angels, … Continue reading

  • Mysticism

    "I want to be a mystic," he said. "What kind of career is that?" she asked. "Well, it isn't a career exactly,it's more of a way to be." She snorted,"A way to be.And that pays…how much?" He ignored her sarcasm,because… Continue reading

  • The Path

    So you,too,tread the pathto the sacred?Share with me your observations. I feel like a memberof a secret society,where identifying fellow-travelerstakes great sensitivityand the practical skillsof silence and patience,until the light of another–unexpectedly–touches me. And…? I anticipate (and find) joywhile being… Continue reading

  • For Those Who Rise at Night

    I rise at night,wander empty rooms–the cats remain asleep at the foot of the bed,black fur blending to darkness. I listen for the voice–listen in vainfor the voice I knowcan shake me,awaken meto freedom. Perhaps tomorrow nightI will rise againand… Continue reading