There was a giant clearing where the earth sloped to rise smoothly up then dipped back down into a pool of clear, flowing water. A waterfall rushed down from above and birds chirped at one another. Everything here was lush, full, and teeming with life. When the girl stepped into this this space, she felt her heart, her mind, her body become quiet. It was strange because all around her everything was moving. But she felt so still. How was this?

She decided to sit on an upward curve of a slope very near the water. She watched the water move. And her eyes became very heavy. Everything did. Everything felt as though it took such a great effort. Rather than struggle against it, she decided she’d wait. And as if calling to past, present and future spirits all at once she thought to herself, 

yes i will wait for you

Water could not disturb her now. Neither could the chirps of birds. The creeping of animals lurking in the forest. And the ones that stepped softly before they pounced. The birds of the sky who carried messages to the far corners of the earth. The bright blue sky and the shining sun who watched over all day by day. All were brothers and sisters to her now. All the forest leaning in as she thought to herself the most simple, delicate of thoughts.

As if weaving a new reality into being, the girl sat and thought about how noise could never scare her. How nothing really could. How all of it was only as real as she wanted it to be. 

so if this is it

all  i do is wait for you 

as i return

to quiet

As it happened whenever the girl began to think deeply, things began to shift. The words cycled and repeated. Changed form. Changed meaning. Changed order. They became a song. She could hear the tones and she could see what they meant. She could feel it. And that’s when she discovered how true it was.

And for a very still moment, the world became quiet as the girl sang from within her heart.

…