mishmash did a beautiful job of raising awareness of society’s problems with race.
I was then inspired by Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s wonderful book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life to write some more ‘definitions’ but in a less politically-charged context.
- A phone that should be ringing but is not. (Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life)
- The sound of the sun setting on another cloudy day.
- Scrolling through the Facebook newsfeed whilst lying in bed.
- The sound of an old grand piano, dusty and untouched for generations.
- A parcel sitting, unopened, on a sunlit doormat, waiting for the recipient to return home from holiday.
- A crow perched on a branch, head cocked to one side, eyeing you intelligently.
- Tiptoeing across the carpet, trying not to wake the parents.
- The sound of a jumper hanging on a sale rack, hoping to be taken home by someone unexpected.
Do you have some more definitions? Let me know!
Silence
noun si·lence ˈsī-lən(t)s
- A lack of sound or noise
Or,
- The sound of an empty school after the last student or teacher or cafeteria supervisor has left for the day.
- The sound of an empty house that was expecting its occupant to come home today, but they didn’t.
- The sound of someone who would like to speak, would like to shout even, but can’t breathe.
- The sound of a group of people, standing still, heads bowed, candles lit, wax dripping, thoughts sent upward.
- The sound of millions of people not raising their voice against the systemic oppression of millions of other people.
- The sound of a taillight, flickering out.
- The deafening quiet that immediately follows the crack of gunfire.
Daring To Jess 