My meditation practice has been waning a bit lately, but this morning I was reminded of the value of taking time to shut up and listen by this post on Elephant Journal. It brought to mind a song I wrote in french when I was seventeen that describes the value of silence. Funny how easy it is to forget moment of clarity one has in the past. Here is a translation (I promise it rhymes in French!):

Calm, serenity, peace, tranquility, pause, patience, simplicity, silence.

A hundred million prayers, a hundred million pleas,
She cried out day and night without result.
Some nights she screamed, some nights she cried,
But it was on a peaceful night when she finally understood:
If one wants a response, one must wait in silence.

It’s peace in the night,
It’s a moment without noise,
A star in the skies,
It’s the voice of God.

Without understanding, he said “I love you.”
He was smooth talker, but they left him anyway.
But she took his words away, she stopped his thoughts.
He never wanted to let go of her hand.
With a word, she explained to him:
There isn’t language that can describe this emotion.

It’s the end of a war,
It’s love without fear,
It’s the union of two,
It’s the voice of God.

If one wants to see, one must look.
If one wants to hear, one must listen.

It’s a tear on a someone’s cheek,
It’s a smile without a word,
It’s the joy in someone’s eyes,
It’s the voice of God.

Calm, serenity, peace, tranquility, pause, patience, simplicity, silence.