A mistake above?
Delete that empty space.
Backspace until it disappears.
Or fill it up with words.
Add words.
Lots of words.
Or recognize its value.
Listen to its open silence.
Spend time there,
relax in empty space.
No judgement.
No expectations.
Just be.
Written for Quadrille Monday at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe. Today I’m hosting and asking folks to include the word “silence” or a form of the word (not a synonym) in the body of their 44 word poem.
Quadrille: a form created by dVerse. The poem is composed of 44 words, sans title. Within the 44 words, one word given by the pub tender, must be included.
Photo from Pixabay.com
lillian the home poet 
Lillian, I really like how “Backspace until it disappears” feels so instinctive. I think it captures that urge to fix things immediately… And then “Just be” lands like the page finally breathing.
~David
LikeLike
Thank you, David! Ah yes….that gut response to fix everything. To move quickly. To make it right. Somehow it reminds me of the two television shows I watched with our children when they were very very young: Mr. Rogers (where everything was slow paced) and Sesame Street (where everything was fast and quick!!). I was always grateful our kids enjoyed Mr. Rogers! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done, Lillian. Silence is a good prompt
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice to see you here and glad you like the prompt!
LikeLike
💙
LikeLike
I love the way you describe the process of writing in your quadrille, Lill, the thought of being able to ‘Delete that empty space’ and have the choice of backspacing until it disappears or filling it up with words. I enjoy time spent in silence, relaxing in empty space.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Empty space/silence can be a curse or a blessing. I was just reading an essay by a dear friend who has now been a widow for about 6 months…after having been married for 60+ years. She is having a struggle coming to grips with the silence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I can understand that, Lill.
LikeLike
Just be works well with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤
LikeLike
Just be, perfectly Zen. harder when you think but easy when you don’t! Loved the comparison to writing and using the keyboard!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed!
LikeLike
Nice one
much love
LikeLike
Thank you, Gillena!
LikeLike
silence on the page – so well wrought Lillian
LikeLike
Thank you, Laura!
LikeLike
I love sitting in silence.
LikeLike
Me too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your printed words sing on the page, Lillian. Conrats. And THANKS for the cool prompt.
LikeLike
Glad you liked the prompt and thanks for the compliment. Much appreciated!
LikeLike
We all need a little silence in our days. Well put!
LikeLike
Yes, I believe we do. Perhaps I should get back to my 5 minute morning meditation to center myself for the day…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
just be as the end packs apunch
LikeLike
Just be. Yes! Although that’s hard to do if I get “involved” in the news these days. I can tend to ruminate on what I cannot change. BUT, we will be at the No Kings Day demonstration – just can’t decide what to put on my sign!
LikeLike
I would be in trouble without backspacing! Works great with words on a page. Not so much in real life!
LikeLike
Wouldn’t that be something…..if we could backspace in life? However, I have ALWAYS said, I have no regrets. People don’t believe me but it’s true. When one has regrets it means you wish something had happened differently in your life. But for me, I know who I am now, 56 years happily married, wonderful family…etc and if something had changed along the way, it would carry a ripple effect and I would now be as I am right now, sitting here, writing to you. I would be different. And I am happy with my life, our family life etc. So no regrets….and I guess that means I wouldn’t choose to use the backspacing key if there was one in real life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are right! Regrets just weigh you down and don’t change anything but your happiness and wellbeing!
LikeLike
Ars poetica.
So true. There are words, even in silence.
LikeLike
I think, it truly is difficult to quiet one’s mind. Even in sleep, there are often times dreams. I guess that must be what “pure” meditation is. But even then, when I was practising meditation, I would be repeating a “chant” in my mind….so even then, not total silence. Someone wrote about the difference between quiet and silence….that’s something to reflect on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we all need a place to simply be…it heals the heart and soul of weariness. Beautifully stated, Lillian.
LikeLike
Amen to that! Thank you!
LikeLike
i enjoy the space of silence in a noisy fast world… the atmosphere you created in the being and breath can be so enlightening…
LikeLike
I think that’s what I enjoy most about being by the ocean….or being by myself to see the sun rise….the quiet. I don’t know if it’s ever truly silent (the gull makes a sound as does the wind and the waves) but it is a delicous quiet.
LikeLike
I love this, Lillian. Backspace and pause or fill – but take the time.
LikeLike
Well said, Dale!
LikeLiked by 1 person
💞
LikeLike
Oh nice, a space to linger in and be, now that is the beauty of silence. Beautifully unique poem.
LikeLike
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
LikeLike
NIcely done Lillian.
LikeLike
Many thanks!
LikeLike
Nicely done. I like it. Just letting the blank space be.
LikeLike
Exactly. Sometimes we all need a little blank space, right?
LikeLike
It’s difficult to slow down when everyone is trying to get ahead and making so much noise.
Nicely written Lillian 👏
LikeLike
That is the challenge, right? To some how find a place/space to escape the humdrum of life and to just setlle into a quiet, even if for only 5 or 10 minutes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’ve just made me realise why older men spend so long on the toilet….. Haha!
LikeLike
lovely piece Lillian silence is very precious when you need it but can at times be completely overwhelming- great prompt ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! And I’m so glad you liked the prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
♥️
LikeLike
I could spend some time there, Lill. The Zen of the space. 💙
LikeLike
Yes…..I think just quiet, if not complete silence. Quiet I think of as comforting. Silence can sometimes be haunting. But yes, the Zen of the space.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are total silence chambers, but people can’t stay in them for very long. You can hear your heartbeats, and even your blinks . . .
LikeLike
likening silence to that space in the page is the perfect visual. Well captured in your poem, Lillian. Beautiful. Thanks.
LikeLike
So glad you liked it!
LikeLike
A little silence, is a space I need – great quadrille prompt word Lillian 💞
LikeLike
Me too….or if not total silence, a little comforting quiet. Glad you liked my quadrille prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Delightful portrayal of silence as an empty space. 👏
LikeLike
Glad you liked it!
LikeLike
Lillian! I love this poem! I don’t think I could get by with empty space in prose, but it certainly is how I feel so often. Empty.
Sometimes it’s a good feeling—a time of yearning, anticipation, and hope. Other times it spirals me downward—I’m empty, I cannot think anymore. I cannot feel, or maybe I cannot feel my feelings anymore. Whatever. Just wanted you to know that your poem drew me into familiar space.
Hugs, Mary
>
LikeLike
I’m so glad you liked it Mary. Your response gives me the opportunity to tell you how much I enjoyed your recent piece about circles. It made me wonder how many people it takes to make a circle? If I’m fondly looking through old photo albums, are those people with me enough, through their photo images, to make a circle? They sure fill my heart so I think they do.
I think of you often, Mary. Am so very glad we had the time in Iowa City to get to know you and Roy. Zion’s support (and that means yours and Roy’s) of Abbey and Aaron’s music and minds in their younger days. Part of who they are is because of you two and Zion. We are forever grateful….and to Roy who helped me through my very difficult times with my mother. I was so relieved when he said he didn’t even remember the time when my mother hit him!!! I was SO mortified!!!
LikeLike
Thanks, Lillian for the necessary pause of the whitespace. This is very Zen and I love your message.
LikeLike
Am so glad it resonated with you! May we all have some quiet, if even a few moments, in our days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That peace keeps us sane. May it surround you daily!
LikeLike
Very apt! I have lately been looking at how to use spaces in poetry, in such ways that the silence actually speaks too. The Quadrille lends itself beautifully to such experiments.
LikeLike
It’s hard to just let it be sometimes..
LikeLike