25 Comments
User's avatar
M H's avatar

Great poem Julie about silence.l can relate to silence living by myself.l think l could become a hermit easily.I imagined the artic with the with the cold and the ice and the vastness of it all.l remember the song .The sound of silence,Simon and Garfunkel.This poem reminds me of the song.Thanks Julie 😊xxx.

Julie Dee's avatar

I just did an audio for it, thanks.

Yes, it’s a pleasant song isn’t it?

I think I’d always associated arctic conditions with the noise of the howling wind or the rattle of hail - but apparently it’s not always like that.

Cori Bren's avatar

How do you do the vocal? I saw you mentioned should do them vs having the ai voice and I agree.

Julie Dee's avatar

Here is a link. Make sure you are in the actual post first. There are two ways, one where you record one directly in to the post via substack and another where you attach your own pre recorded audio file.

https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/7265784112916-How-do-I-add-a-voiceover-to-my-Substack-post

M H's avatar

Yes l like the song easy listening.Good like your poem.😊xxx.

Charlie Rosewater's avatar

I connect w/ you mostly, I think, b/c of your naked honesty in experiencing loneliness.

At the same time I feel compelled to rush in like a fictional hero to save you from it.

At the same time I'm reminded by life experience that I can never do that.

Julie Dee's avatar

It is what it is, hey? We’re just a load of Eleanor Rigbys and Father Mackenzies, really aren’t we?Each human brain is so unique that it seems utter madness to even contemplate fusing with another for anything other than a brief spark. Like shooting stars colliding. Does it ever happen I wonder? Most just fall to earth.

Charlie Rosewater's avatar

Not sure there's anything but brief sparks anymore.

But I do remember we once agreed there is profound beauty in the ephemeral.

Julie Dee's avatar

I just googled whether shooting stars collide and apparently they don’t. They run parallel. And even what we see there is usually optical illusion. Says it all really.

Charlie Rosewater's avatar

Leave it to science to f up a cool myth.

Cori Bren's avatar

I really love this one Julie. You’re not alone in wanting a blank white lonely silence. I too crave it at times. The closest I get here is to go outside, lie in the glade in our side yard with bare feet buried in the damp cold grass, arms outstretched staring up at the sky through the trees. I’m able to tune out the bird chatter for a bit and imagine floating. I had a coworker once who regularly spent time in a sensory deprivation chamber, his description of which sounded close to what your friend described.

Julie Dee's avatar

I guess that when we have it we might then go the opposite way…:but that’s humans for ya😂

Cori Bren's avatar

So true. We’re a contrary bunch.

Still Becoming's avatar

I never thought of silence that way. Thank you!

Julie Dee's avatar

Glad you appreciate it

Joanna  :)'s avatar

Beautiful. And thank you for the recording - it is always best to hear poetry in the author's own voice! Lovely!

Julie Dee's avatar

Thank you. Glad you appreciate it.

Ralph Martyn's avatar

That was a beautiful poem & thought provoking

Julie Dee's avatar

Thank you. Glad it chimed with you.

Sue Crampton's avatar

What an ineresting topic and a splendid beautiful poem.

Julie Dee's avatar

Thank you Sue

Simone Senisin's avatar

Wow, what a place that would be to visit. I love camping near our coastline and listening to the whoosh of the white noise of ocean in the blackness of night. Love the last verse, the noise in the still, and now it’s your turn to be awake at 2am 🙏💖 🌊

Julie Dee's avatar

The second photo is of Iceland. I visited there a few years ago. Sadly there were lots of tourists where I went, beautiful - but no silence. If I went again, I would go hiking into the wilds alone!

Simone Senisin's avatar

I would love to go there… we are very isolated down here 🤦🏼‍♀️😊, plenty of beautiful beaches and deserts for silence though 🙏🏼

Alastair Walker's avatar

So much better than the robot voice!