At first, even one minute spent in unaccustomed prayer will seem as endless as an empty silence or a blank stillness; but these periods of quiet can be lengthened profitably, and these times of silent stillness can become alive, eventually becoming the most rewarding experiences of the day, as one discovers how much God has to say to those who will listen. "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." A person who does not understand another's silences will not understand their words either.
Nothing
in the world
is usual today.
This is
the first morning.
Come quickly -- as soon as
these blossoms open,
they fall.
This world exists
as a sheen of dew on flowers.