The Sounds of Silence Challenge

I hear your calling in the wind
And my soul leaps in joy
I feel so warm deep within
When you set the sails and shout “ahoy.”
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The ocean waves are at peace
And the sun lights up my world
The stars guide my voyage across the sea
Your soul is far more precious than any pearl.
-
Like the seagulls I cry out loud
As I’m freed from all my sorrow
I stand upon my ship, tall and proud
My hope lies with the dawn of tomorrow.
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After many years we meet at last
Upon the golden sands of a tropical island
Looking into your eyes, a spell has been cast
Those blue orbs outshine any diamond.
-
My pain fades with your smile
As my soul sparks to life once more
I’d like to stay here for a while
And walk with you along the Maldivian shore.
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Like the seagulls I cry out loud
As I’m freed from all my sorrow
I stand upon my ship, tall and proud
My hope lies with the dawn of tomorrow.

I stroll through the forest as I do everyday
Admiring the vibrant colors as Spring arrives
I sit down at my favorite spot underneath the shade
And watch the entire forest sparkle under the sunlight.
The birds chirp to their hearts content
And the deer feed on the grass calmly
This beautiful space seems to be under an enchantment
The absolute peace has my eyes drooping.

Suddenly my eyes snap open as the wind picks up
The sounds of nature have abruptly gone mute
As soon as I reach the next line of trees, the wind comes to an abrupt…
Stop; instead, a gentle breeze teases my hair and carries the sound of an owl’s hoot.
I listen on in confusion; hadn’t it just been noon?
Yet all around I could hear the nightly birds
Through the thick leaves, I can make out the sight of the moon
I can’t help but pause in my tracks as I’m at a loss of words.

I continue on, and at last make it out of the numerous trees
Where normally should have been more trees, I step out onto an open plain
In the middle of the area, I see a lonely oak tree
Yet the sky’s exotic colors and unfamiliar celestial bodies make it strange
Despite the unusual circumstance, I feel giddy.
The warm breeze tickles my face
And I feel an invisible pull urging me towards the tree
My body is paralyzed, yet my mind is wondering about this strange place
And what exactly does it want with me?

What sounds like a chuckle echoes in the wind
Meteor showers light up the sky
The closer I get to the tree, the warmer I feel within
And yet I’m still wondering why…
Am I in this heavenly place?
When mere moments ago I was on Earth
I’m certainly no pure saint
Yet this unknown force assures me of my worth.

On a whim, I sit down underneath the tree
Just like I did mere moments before
Strangely, my soul feels like it wants to burst free
And explore this dimension uncorrupted by war.
Hundreds of tiny star-like orbs
Float down from the heavens
One lands on the palm of my hand, and it’s immediately absorbed
I snicker to myself as this is better than receiving lemons.

All jokes aside, I’m confused about where I am
Yet despite that, I don’t want to disrupt…
The peace I feel thanks to this tree I’ll call Sam
If indeed this is a dream, then don’t wake me up.

To be alive isn't just to be alive and kicking
feeling your own legs and limbs.
To be alive is to
percieve the sights and sounds
that those who have kicked the bucket can't appreciate
until resurrection and  the long wait for heaven's gate
 
God's most precious gift to us  
Is life which He breathed into our souls.
 
But to be alive is to thaw
the frozen cold heart
with the warmth of feeling
coz we aren't born coldblooded.
 
Alive is
the sense of hearing  
that hearkens not just the artificial violin
but the natural songbird's birdsong.
To see not just the obvious, the apparent
but as well to see with the eyes of wisdom.
To not just gaze at silver screens and the telly all day
But rather to gaze and observe all of nature's
sights and scenery around you,
 
To feel not just your own skin,
to not spend life touching cellphones  
but rather employ the sense of touch
to feel petals and other critters.
To be alive isn't to smell your own breath and sweat
but to inhale all the distinct fragrances of nature.
And to taste not merely of the artificial flavors
of fizzy pale poison refined sugar's sodas
but to cup your hands to taste the raindrop!
 
Do I in anyway imply by this that those born blind, deaf or dumb are less alive?
Never! For I've seen the blind appreciate
divinely created nature far more than the seeing.
For to the blind every sound is precious,  
for every voice they are grateful.
And every touch has meaning...
 
Be alive with all your God given senses
Don't wait to be deprived of even one,
to appreciate them.
For senses like limbs, freeze and can get impaired  
when they're in limbo, not in usage.
God created this world for our toil and to appreciate life as a divine present,  
We must thank Him for granting us existence  
so we deserve the next life in heaven.

Listen. Right now, listen....
Did you hear that?
There it was again...
That right there.
What was that?
The ringing in our ears? The humming of life?
That is the world. That is the world breathing and living.
That's what that is.
That's what life is.
That is the world around us living up to its full potential.
That is the cacophony of emptiness we create whenever we stop--
Listen.....Did you hear it?
It's nothing.
It's what's left over when we take life for granted.
But why do we take life for granted?
Is there really nothing new to see here? Nothing at all?
Do we just not care anymore? About anything?
But what if.................is all there is after life?
What if there's nothing more?
How will we able to sense all that is around us
when the infinite nothing engulfs us all
And when we realize that we never did everything we wanted?
Is that what we want? To not know?
To fix this we must feel the earth.

Do you feel it?
Do you feel the earth breathing with you?
Well, the earth feels you.
The earth feels your heart beating, your lungs breathing, you blood pumping.
Is that what makes us human?
I don't know, but it's what makes us alive.
But does what makes us alive, make up our minds?
It shouldn't be allowed to control us, right?
And yet we are controlled.
We have no choice.
We are locked in, we can't escape, we have our path chosen for us by
Them.
Them?
Them,
those that control and organize others' lives because
They Themselves cannot truly be alive.
Them; the doubters, the non-believers,
The ignorance suppliers,
The illiterate individuals,
Bullies.
While They do what they want,
We have locked ourselves away by repeating past lessons.
We do nothing.
We are herded.
We are led.
We have failed the earth.
When do we get to choose what to do?
When do we get to be in charge?
Once the Nothing engulfs us?
That doesn't seem fair.
But then what should we do now?

Well, for now we are judged.
We are judged constantly by Them.
We are judged when we make mistakes and when we have successes.
But when we make mistakes it's how we move forward and act in the future
that best describes us as human beings.
But that is not how we view others.
We dwell on physical things.
We believe in those who have and own matter.
We believe that those that own, matter.
We believe that They have a say in what we do.
They shouldn't.
But They do.
Why do They?
What do They get to be when They are still deciding for us?
Who cares?
Because you are better.
You are better than Them.
You, with your life and your personality, you are you.
YOU ARE YOU. 
Your body is a symphony that instills a synchronous harmony
into the cacophony of emptiness around us
and no one can take that from you.
They, can try and take it from you in the future
and we all know They have in the past,
But we cannot let Them get through.
They break you down and tear you down, They say that you don't matter.
Well, GOD DAMMIT, you matter.
You are you.
You do what no one else can do.
You are you.
You are someone that never backs down.
You are you.
You are human.
You are you.
You are alive.
You are you........
You just need to find yourself
and to listen to what you have to say.
Because it'd be worth listening to.
And I believe that you can.
Because you are you.

But you is just a word.
Three little letters that have no meaning apart,
but hold in --your-- essence.
And if we hold something that esteemed then "you" becomes "Them".
Then we haven't gotten anywhere, now have we?

So what is you? What are you?
You is you. You are you.
And that is why I love you.