Lately, I’ve been trying to harness the power and beauty of silence. There is no shortage of noise with 24-hour hot-take cycles, group chats and digital channels whence triggers fly at an alarming pace. But, I am increasingly realising, there needn’t always be the reading of the riot act nor the formation of a water-tight case proving that so-and-so is wrong, or an ass, or a racist, or whatever it may be.
I’d been thinking about all this when I came across a short video with David Attenborough talking about the electromagnetic field at play in the symbiotic relationship between flowers and bees.
A flower has a negative charge, and a bee, as it buzzes through the air, loses electrons and amasses a positive charge in the way us humans do when we glide across carpet, shedding electrons and building up a net positive charge, or static, that we’re only aware of when we touch a conducting surface such as a metal doorknob and feel the minuscule shock as we dis-charge.
In the video, the flower was connected to electrodes to convert its electric field into sound. I was struck by the poetic perfection when bee mounted flower and their respective, opposite charge momentarily cancelled, resulting in silence.
So, what of my quest to say less? This is where more poetry comes into play.
Sufi poet, mystic and Islamic scholar Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, widely known as Rumi, wrote of the three gates to pass before speaking — a means to determine whether words can improve on silence:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
It’s the question of necessity that I find most challenging. So I present question 2, parts a and b:
2 a. Is it necessary only to make me feel better in this moment?
2 b. Is it necessary for the benefit of the collective?
The former results in noise and the amplification of negative energy. The latter is something greater than silence.
I have nothing more to say on the matter.
Book review
My first book review for The Big Issue was published in Issue 706! It’s Balsam Karam's English-language debut, The Singularity (2024).
I’m hanging out for the translation (from Swedish) of her first novel, Event Horizon (2018). Both titles are references to a black hole and I am intrigued! In the meantime, there is a translated short story version, published in Words Without Borders (March 2019) to devour.
Comic workshops
I have postponed the May workshop as I'll be in recovery following surgery. The next workshop, and last scheduled for now, will be a cosy winter session in June. I cannot think of a better spot to be on a wintery Sunday morning than basking in the sunlight of the large window of the beautiful launderette in Castlemaine in the company of fun, creative souls sharing stories and snacks. By then, my right hand will be out of a splint, my baby will have turned 10, and here's hoping — a permanent ceasefire will be in effect.
Make time for creativity, flow and a spot of winter sunshine.
Sunday 23 June 2024, 10:30 am, Sac’O’Suds Launderette, Castlemaine
I hope to see you there!
Raptorial Writes
A monthly writing prompt
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Do not write. Simply close your eyes and listen. Once the timer buzzes, note down the two most notable sounds throughout the 10 minutes (excluding the timer).
Now, set the timer for another 10 minutes and build a story around those two sounds. Fill gaps in sensory detail with your imagination — colours, characters, smells, dialogue, and other elements that make up the world of those sounds.
I’d love to know how you go! Post your writing to Instagram using #RaptorialWrites, or feel free to share it in the comments here. Happy writing!
Raptorial Bites
A monthly short story book club
This month’s read is Nick Antosca’s The Quiet Boy, which was made into a supernatural horror film, Antlers (2021). The short story was published in Guernica in January 2019.