Filling the Void

After a short interlude for Santo Nino, this poem returns to a previous theme, that of silence. Melissa's comment forced me to reflect on my choice of the word empty and the meaning of emptiness. I do not withdraw my choice of the word empty in relation to peaceful silence, but I do agree that there is a huge difference between the emptiness of an opening up to the potential to be filled, from the emptiness which accompanies the lack of even a hope of fulfilment; between the creative emptiness of silence, and  the destructive emptiness of noise.

I would suggest that the latter type of emptiness is widely prevalent in our western societies. In spite of (or perhaps because of) being richer than ever, there remains a deep level of dissatisfaction and many people who struggle with finding and believing in their own worth and inherent value as individuals. Maybe the noise with which we surround ourselves is symptomatic of our attempts to fill a deeply felt void.

But perhaps it is only in seeking the first kind of emptiness, the creative peaceful emptiness of silence, that we find the possibility to overcome the second.

Filling The Void

Empty

Crushed and closed

A lonely despondency

The lethargy of nothingness

Empty

Fearful and frozen

Dashed dreams

And hopes unfilled

Chasing the pot of gold

At the end of an illusory rainbow

The empty void of what could have been

And isn’t

Empty

Breathing and being

Reaching depths

The silence of vitality

Empty

Open and alert

A window for light and air

Inspiring growth

Empty

Listening and believing

A space

Of new hope

Turning from shattering noise

To live and love and dare to dream

The empty depth only God can touch

With abundant life

Empty

Filling the void

With another emptiness

Of vitality and life.