I am listening now
to an exquisite quiet
that rings so true
with a vibrancy that cannot be denied
its sacred origin

It is not just the sound
of rustling leaves in autumn trees
now preparing to release
nor is it just
the proclaiming of our feathered friends
urgent in migration
etching zig zags and diagonals
in the graying sky


No, I am listening to something more
it is the spell that happens
when the outer life
arrives and joins in harmony
with my inner peace
melting all distance in time and space
and dissolving all illusions
of a body alone
and separate from
and perhaps without spirit
enhancing its experience

Hard as I try
no word comes to my lips
true enough to convey this listening
so ecstasy will have to do